Samuel Ernest was born at Cubert in late 1871, the eldest son of John RODLIFF, an iron miner, and his wife Annie nee STEPHENS.

When only 12 years old in 1883 he witnessed the beginning of a horrible murder as a young man pushed an older man into the hedge and began to kick him:

The quiet little village of Cubert has for the past few days been the scene of sad excitement, the cause being nothing more nor less than a murder, committed in a most brutal manner by a man named Abraham Boswell, aged about 20, upon his partner in an itinerant knife-grinding avocation, named Thomas Down, aged about 40. The facts are simple yet remarkable, as showing an utter want of motive for the dastardly crime. It appears that the two men have for the past month or so been travelling about the county together, Down grinding scissors, etc., and Boswell mending chairs and umbrellas. On Tuesday last the two men arrived at Cubert about mid-day from St. Columb, and proceeded to the only public house in the village - the Hosken's Arms. Here they remained drinking till four o'clock, about which time a quarrel arose concerning the supply of more drink, the result of which was that Boswell overthrew the table and kicked Down between the mouth and the nose, causing the nose to bleed. Down, however, did not complain, and the two men, both partially intoxicated, went into the road. Here Boswell behaved in a strange manner, pretending to be more intoxicated than he really was, but his partner did his best to assist him and keep him quiet, and the two men proceeded along the road. Boswell, however, was vey quarrelsome, and challenged a man he met on the road to a fight. No more was seen of them till some lads {one of whom was 12 year old Samuel} came running into the village stating that the men were fighting. On two men going down the road they saw Boswell striking some blows at Down, who was lying in the ditch covered with blood, and several large wounds on his head. To all appearances he was then dead. The men gave chase to the murderer, and others joined them, Boswell being seized after much struggling about a mile from the spot of the murder. A hammer found near the deceased, with which the blows had evidently been inflicted, was identified as one seen in Boswell's possession at the public-house. The police were sent for, and on the charge of murder being read over to the accused he merely said "Thank you! Really."
[Royal Cornwall Gazette, Friday 5 October 1883]

His father died in 1886 and the family went to live at Truro with his unmarried uncle John STEPHENS, a tailor, and grandmother Hannah STEPHENS. Ernest, now recorded as RADCLIFF, was an apprentice carpenter in 1891 and fully qualified by 1894 when he married Emily LOCKETT, a miner's daughter, at Treleigh. Ernest and Emily were living at Treleigh in 1901 and in 1911 they are recorded at Mount Ambrose Terrace, Redruth Highway, Redruth. At this time Ernest was employed by a builder as a foreman carpenter and appeared as a carpenter in the 1914 Kelly's Directory. They had no children.

It's not clear why or exactly when but Ernest and Emily went their separate ways. Ernest emigrated in 1928 and gave his next of kin as his mother Mary (Annie) RADCLIFFE of Newlyn East, Cornwall although wife Emily didn't die until 1948. So far we have been unable to find any evidence of what Ernest did during World War I.

On 22nd September 1928 Samuel E RADCLIFFE (55) departed Southampton aboard Cunard's SS Alaunia bound via Cherbourg for Quebec, accompanied by his 'wife' Florence (36) and 'daughters' Iris (12), Betty (6) & Joan (6), all born Redruth. They were travelling on passports issued in Jersey on 17th September that year. The children declared that Ernest's mother was their grandmother. They arrived at Quebec on 30th September 1928, where Ernest, carrying $1000 decared that he was intending to work as a builder in Canada. After 1920 they could have travelled to the Channel Islands without a passport but we have yet to discover what evidence they all presented in Jersey in order to obtain passports in the name of RADCLIFF for Florence and her children. Florence was actually the wife of Archie BRAY, who had emigrated to Canada in 1922 working as a miner at Timmins before moving to Detroit the following year where he was employed as a machine operator by the Ford Motor Co. at their River Rouge plant. Archie crossed into Canada to see his family in December 1928 which suggests that Florence's 'marriage' to Ernest was possibly a ploy to get Archie's family an assisted passage to Canada.

Ernest and his 'family' were living at 430 Vera Place, Windsor, Ontario, when on 15th August 1929 they landed at Detroit Michigan from Canada apparently to visit Belle Isle for a few hours. Their immigration cards recorded them all with the surname RADCLIFF; Florence was clearly stated as Ernest's wife and the children referred to him as their father. Belle Isle was a popular resort in the 1900s with an aquarium and canoeing lake but it seems most likely that they were meeting with Archie.

The following year, on 18th June 1930, Ernest landed alone at Detroit Michigan from Canada. He was recorded as a contractor, born Churchtown England, this time seeking permanent entry into the USA. He reported his next of kin in Canada as his niece Florence BRAY living at 430 Vera Place. At Windsor on 19th June Florence was issued identity cards in the name of BRAY for herself and the girls and on 20th June they landed at Detroit on their way to join Archie at 3734 Edison.

Our last sighting of Ernest is in the 1940 census at 266 21st Street, Irvington, Essex, New Jersey. He is aged 69, claims to be a widower, is registered as an alien not working or seeking work, living with his 'nieces' Iris, Joan and Betty BRAY, all single, aliens, working as seamstresses and dressers earning $700 per year.

Our last sighting of Archie is in May 1942 when he completed a Second World War draft regstration card. He recorded his birth as 9 June 1888, one year earlier than his birth was registered, possibly to reduce the likelihood of being called up. He gave his daughter Joan BRAY, living at Irvington, as next of kin. Iris, Joan and Betty were all granted US citizenship in 1945. We have yet to find out what happened to Florence and Archie BRAY.