Joseph and Sarah were almost certainly together in Cornwall for the birth of son Joseph in the latter half of 1793 or early 1794 (See footnote 1). Although Joseph was not serving in the Army at the time, the family may have lived for a while at Cawsand (See footnote 2), where Joseph might have been quartered in 1789 while serving in the 38th Foot.

Britain had been at war with France for two years by the time that their son Joseph was baptised at Kenwyn on 30th June 1795. The Parish Register recorded Joseph Ratcliff as a pauper and soon he would enlist in the 27th Regiment of Foot who were known as the Inniskillings.

  1. Joseph Rodliffe gave ages at the 1841, 1851 and 1861 censuses consistent with birth in the latter part of 1793 or early in 1794. Conception would therefore have been some time in late 1792 or the first half of 1793 about 18 months after his father was discharged at Dublin. It is unclear whether Sarah had accompanied Joseph to Ireland and unknown exactly when they were together again in Cornwall. Either way it seems most likely that Joseph was the father of Sarah's son otherwise it seems unlikely that Sarah would have named her son Joseph (John James). Their son would have been conceived between October 1792 and June 1793, i.e. within 6 to 18 months of Joseph's discharge in Ireland. If Sarah had followed Joseph to Ireland they might not have returned to Cornwall until their son was born; otherwise Joseph would have had to return by October 1792 at the latest.
  2. Perhaps Joseph Rodliffe was in fact born at Cawsand, which could account for him giving that for his place of birth in 1851. Then perhaps at a very young age, his father left that area, and Sarah and baby Joseph returned to her home in Kenwyn parish, so that would be the parish that he actually knew and grew up and then gave that as his place of birth in 1861. (John James)