Tuhia he toenga mō tēnei wāhanga - Ko tōna pāpā ko Commander John Tracey William French, RN, o Ripple Vale i Kent (whanau i te tau 1808, i mate i te tau 1854), nāna i whawhai i Navarino
I raro hoki i a Napier hei tautoko i a Dom Pedro i te Pakanga Whenua o Portugal. Ko tana whaea ko Margaret Eccles, no Glasgow, i muri i tana raru i muri i te matenga o tana tahu, i te mutunga ka tukuna ki te whare ka kitea he haurangi. I mate ia i te tau 1867 ka waiho a French kia whakatipuhia e ona tuahine. I whakaakona ia i te kura whakareri o Harrow me te Eastman's Royal Naval Academy i Portsmouth i mua i tana urunga ki te Royal Navy i te tau 1866.