Richard Gore

Richard Gore was born in London into a family of Gerrard Gore, a Merchant Taylor and alderman of London.

In 1574 Richard gained a freedom of the Merchant Taylors and joined his father in the family business. During the mid-1580s he imported sugars from Barbary together with his father and other brothers. The enterprise must have been successful as he managed to amass a substantial personal fortune.

Gore’s business success was accompanied with the rise in the ranks of the Merchant Taylors. He served as junior warden in 1589, prime warden in 1595 and finally master of the company in 1602. He was also named a deputy governor of the Merchant Adventurers by 1601.

Gore was also a prominent figure in the public life serving as a deputy governor for eight or nine years. Although he experienced some financial difficulties in the late 1590s, he nevertheless remained a prominent merchant. In 1608 he was one of the providers to London’s loan to the king of £63,000. When the Spanish Company was created in 1605 he became its member.

As a Member of Parliament, Gore was concerned with various mercantile measures and appointed to committees concerned with legislation submitted by the City livery companies. As he was interested in revival of the cloth trade, he wrote a paper on that subject which was intended for Cecil, lord treasurer Salisbury with whom he was well acquainted.

Around 1611 he left England, apparently permanently, and settled in Hamburg as the representative of the Merchant Adventurers. He died there in 1622.