Kammala jumla mai zuwa: Mahaifinsa shi ne Kwamandan John Tracey William Faransanci, RN, na Ripple Vale a Kent (an haife shi a 1808, ya mutu a 1854), wanda ya yi yaƙi a
Navarino da Napier a karkashin goyon bayan Dom Pedro a cikin yakin basasar Portugal. Mahaifiyarsa ita ce Margaret Eccles, daga Glasgow, wanda bayan da ya sha wahala bayan mutuwar mijinta ya kasance a ƙarshe ya kasance a matsayin wanda aka gane shi a matsayin mahaukaci. Ta mutu a shekara ta 1867 ta bar Faransanci don 'yan uwanta mata su haife shi. Ya yi karatu a makarantar shirya Harrow da Eastman's Royal Naval Academy a Portsmouth kafin ya shiga Royal Navy a 1866.