Whakakiia te rerenga e whai ake nei: Ko tona papa ko Commander John Tracey William French, RN, o Ripple Vale i Kent (whanau 1808, mate 1854), i whawhai i
Ko Navarino me Napier i te tautoko i a Dom Pedro i te Pakanga Tangata Portuguese. 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.