George Harrison, who died in 2001, was often known as the “quiet Beatle”. Biographers have speculated that his reserve had its roots in a family secret: that his mother’s parents were unmarried. George’s cousin has investigated the historical record
My mother, Mary Fox (formerly French) was an older sister of Louise Harrison (formerly French), the mother of Beatle George Harrison. Mary was George’s godmother when he was baptised in the church of Our Lady of Good Help in Chestnut Grove, Wavertree, Liverpool on 14 March 1943.
About that time, Mary was also a witness when George’s parents, Harold and Louise Harrison, had their marriage “convalidated” in the Catholic church. Louise was Catholic, Harold wasn’t. They’d had a civil marriage ceremony in 1931; Louise was pregnant, and it is said a harsh encounter with an unsympathetic priest had kept them away from the Church at that time. They did, however, have all four children baptised.
Mary and Louise French had another sister, Kathleen, and four brothers. Their parents were John French from County Wexford and Louise French (formerly Woollam) from Little Crosby, Lancashire. John and Louise (Woollam) had a total of 16 grandchildren, including George and his three siblings. The 1911 census was taken when Mary French and her husband-to-be – my father, Edward Fox – were both aged about three, living a few doors apart in Albert Grove.