Margaret Augusta Eliot (26 February 1914 – 27 February 2011) was an English music teacher and musician. She was a professor of oboe at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and her best-known student (from 1948) was George Martin; in 2011, just before her death at age 97, she appeared in the documentary film Produced by George Martin.[3] In the early 1960s she also taught Paul McCartney to successfully play the recorder, which he later used to effect, for the recording of, "The Fool on the Hill".[4]

Margaret Eliot
Born
Margaret Augusta Eliot

(1914-02-26)26 February 1914[1]
London, England
Died27 February 2011(2011-02-27) (aged 97) [2]
OccupationProfessor of Oboe
Spouse
(m. 1943; died 1969)
Children3, including Peter and Jane Asher

Eliot was also an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music.

Family edit

Margaret Eliot was born to Hon. Edward Granville Eliot (1878–1958) - a younger brother of both 7th and 8th Earls of St Germans - and his wife Clare Louise née Phelips (1883–1927). She was a great granddaughter of Edward Granville Eliot, 3rd Earl of St Germans (1798–1877).

On 27 July 1943,[5] she married Dr Richard Asher (1912–1969); the couple had three children:

  1. Peter Asher (born 1944), who was one half of the pop duo Peter & Gordon and successful music producer;
  2. Jane Asher (born 1946), the film and TV actress, novelist
  3. Clare Asher (born 1948), the radio actress.

References edit

  1. ^ GRO Register of Births: MAR 1914 1b 161(?) PANCRAS, Margaret A. Eliot, mmn = Phelips
  2. ^ "For Margaret".
  3. ^ 'George Martin's Early Days', clip from Arena with Margaret Eliot
  4. ^ Brown, Craig. One, Two, Three, Four, The Beatles in Time (2020), p 116
  5. ^ GRO Register of Marriages: SEP 1943 1b 4 PANCRAS - Richard Asher = Margaret Eliot