Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Thomas Clarke a farm labourer, born 1834 in Shenton, Leics., and his wife Sarah, born 1842 in Shenton, Leics. Ernest was born in 1889 in Barwell, Leics., his siblings were, Eliza, born 1874 and Alice, born 1876, both his siblings were born in Hinckley, Leics., in April 1891 the family home was at Brockey Lane, Barwell, Leics. In March 1901 Ernest was residing in the family home at 30, Brockey Lane, Barwell, Leics., together with his father, now retired and his mother. In April 1911 Ernest was employed as a bread deliverer and was residing in the family home at 42, Brockey, Lane, Barwell, Leics., together with his widowed mother and married sister, Alice Haywood, and her son, Bertie Haywood, born 1909 in Barwell, Leics.

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Ernest was one of 8 children born to Thomas and Sarah Clarke. Three of his siblings died in infancy, and his sister Alice died of TB in 1911. Ernest had married Lily Dot Hibbins before the war and together they had a son. After Ernest died, Lily moved to Canada to start a new life with her son, and the decendents of that family remain in contact to this day.
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Submitted by C. Downes, great-niece of Ernest Clarke, 2019