More was born in Low Leyton in
Essex. Her father, Cresacre More, was great-grandson of
Thomas More; her mother, Elizabeth Gage, was sister of
Sir John Gage, 1st Baronet of
Firle,
Sussex,
Lord Chamberlain to
Queen Mary. Her mother died in 1611 and Helen's father, who had trained to be a monk, became responsible for her care and education. Dom Benet Jones, a Benedictine monk, encouraged her to join his projected religious foundation, , in
Cambrai. She was the first of nine
postulants admitted to the order on 31 December 1623. Helen More came under the prescriptive influence of the Benedictine
Augustine Baker and took the religious name of
Gertrude.
Catherine Gascoigne, one of her peers, was chosen ahead of her by the authorities in Rome as abbess in 1629 because she was older. and she contributed to the effort to publish their work. The row at Cumbrai continued and Baker was recalled to Douai. Before the row was settled Gertrude died at
Cambrai, from
smallpox, aged 27. ==Posthumous==