| Admin History | Sir John Gore was a British naval commander of the 18th and 19th centuries, son of Colonel John Gore. He joined the Royal Navy in August 1781, as a Captain's Servant, and by 1794 had risen to the rank of Post Captain. Best remembered for his command of HMS Medusa during the Battle of Cape Santa Maria, he was made Vice Admiral in 1825 and served as Commander-in-Chief, East Indies and China Station from 1831 to 1834. Admiral Sir John Gore died in 1836.
Lord William Cavendish Bentinck (1774-1839) was the second son of the third Duke of Portland and a professional soldier. He saw service in Minorca and Egypt before being posted to India in 1803 as Governor of Madras. In 1811 he returned to Europe as commander-in-chief of the British forces in Sicily, and later served in Spain. He served briefly as M.P. for Kings Lynn before returning to India in 1827 as governor general of Bengal, where he effected important financial reforms, reorganized the judicial department and extended the system of employment of natives in official positions. In 1833 he became the first governor general of India. |
| Custodial History | The letters were acquired in August 2010. |