Gore Ouseley

Sir Gore Ouseley, Bt
Sir Gore Ouseley with two distinguished orders
Born	(1770-06-24)24 June 1770 Limerick
Died	18 November 1844(1844-11-18) (aged 74) Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire
Occupation	Trader, diplomat and linguist
Spouse(s)	Harriet Georgina Whitelocke
Children	Two sons, three daughters, inc. Frederick Ouseley
Parent(s)	Captain Ralph Ouseley

Sir Gore Ouseley, 1st Baronet GCH (24 June 1770 – 18 November 1844), was a British entrepreneur, linguist and diplomat. He was born in 1770 and died at Hall Barn Park, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire in 1844. He negotiated an important treaty between Russia and Persia in 1813 which redrew their common borders.

Sir Gore Ouseley was born in Limerick in Ireland to Ralph and Elizabeth (born Holland) Ouseley. Gore's father's family was originally from Shropshire. Gore and his brother were tutored at home in the company of brother, William and his cousin, Gideon Ouseley. All three had notable careers.

Whilst serving the British Government and posted in Lucknow he became a friend of the local Nawab Saadat Ali Khan and was responsible for building a palace called Dilkusha Kothi on the banks of the Gomti near Lucknow. This palace stood for about fifty years until it was damaged in the Siege of Lucknow. The palace was a copy of the English Baroque stately home of Seaton Delaval Hall. He made his name in India where he was appointed a Major-Commander. He was made a baronet in 1808 with the recommendation of Lord Wellesley.

He served as ambassador to Persia from 1810 where he was involved with negotiating treaties principally with Persia and Russia. He was accompanied by his brother as secretary, Sir William Ouseley, who like Gore was a keen orientalist. (He was the first ambassador to Persia since Sir Dodmore Cotton was sent by Charles I). Nominally he was supporting the Shah of Persia (Fat′h Ali Shah Qajar). The most important was The Treaty of Gulistan: Гюлистанский договор; Persian: عهدنامه گلستان‎‎) which was prepared by the ambassador with the help of the British Foreign Office. The treaty confirmed the inclusion of modern-day Azerbaijan, Daghestan and Eastern Georgia into the Russian Empire. This was agreed on 24 October 1813. Ouseley may have visited Persepolis during his stay in Persia, as a group of reliefs from the site collected by him were donated to the British Museum in 1825.