Main Family Genealogy & History

Marjorie Main, born Mary Tomlinson, was a renowned American character actress and singer during the Classical Hollywood era. Best known for her role as Ma Kettle in the Ma and Pa Kettle film series, she was a prominent Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player in the 1940s and 1950s. Main's illustrious career included performances in film classics such as "Meet Me in St. Louis" and "Friendly Persuasion," showcasing her versatility across vaudeville, theatre, and film. Her dynamic range and memorable roles have cemented her legacy in Hollywood history.

Marjorie Main was born in rural Marion County, Indiana, to Reverend Samuel J. Tomlinson, a Disciples of Christ minister, and Jennie L. McGaughey. Her maternal grandfather, Doctor Samuel McGaughey, was a physician in Acton, Indiana. Raised in a religious family, Main moved to various Indiana towns due to her father's pastoral duties before eventually pursuing a career in the dramatic arts despite his disapproval.

Mary Main (1943 – 2023) was a renowned American psychologist recognized for her groundbreaking work in attachment theory. As a Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, she introduced the 'disorganized' infant attachment classification and developed the Adult Attachment Interview, revolutionizing the assessment of attachment-related states of mind. Main's contributions, alongside mentors like John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth, include the microanalysis of infant-mother interactions and expanding the understanding of insecure-avoidant behaviors. Her collaborations with global scholars such as Karin and Klaus Grossmann further solidified her influence in the psychology field.

John Douglas Main OSB (1926–1982) was a pioneering Roman Catholic priest and Benedictine monk renowned for reviving Christian meditation using a mantra, notably 'Maranatha.' He founded influential Christian meditation groups at Ealing Abbey in London and later, in Montreal, Canada. These efforts laid the groundwork for the World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM). Main's career included roles as a headmaster and a teacher, contributing significantly to the global spread of Christian contemplative practices, which continue to thrive under the WCCM.

John Main was born in London as Douglas Main, the fourth of six children to David and Eileen Main. His family later moved to Dublin, where he pursued studies before embarking on his ecclesiastical and meditative journey.

Anne Margaret Main, born on May 17, 1957, in Cardiff, Wales, is a notable former Conservative Party politician. She served as the Member of Parliament for St Albans from 2005 to 2019, and was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2020 for her public and parliamentary service. Main was a prominent eurosceptic, campaigning for a “Leave” vote during the 2016 EU Referendum. After her political career, she became a successful novelist, publishing eleven novels set in mid-20th century South Wales by August 2024.

Anne Main's personal life includes her marriage to Stephen Tonks in 1978, with whom she had three children before his death. She later married Andrew Main, a company director, in 1995 and had a fourth child. The family resides in Bourne End.