Ernest was the son of Sarah Ann White (nee Bryan) and John Henry Southerington.
Sarah Ann Bryan was born in 1858 (A/M/J Newark) and married Robert White in 1881 (J/F/M Newark). They had one child, Robert Edward White b. 1881 (O/N/D Newark).
John Henry Southerington was born in Coddington, Newark, in 1859 (A/M/J Newark). In 1881 he was working as a platelayer and living on Balderton Road, Coddington, with his parents Gibbon and Hannah.
By 1891 John Henry, single, was working as a malster's labourer and recorded living on Main Road, Coddington; he was head of the household. Also in the home were Sarah White, married, and employed as a servant, amplified on the census as 'malster's housekeeper', Robert E White (9) described as 'servant's son', and Ernest White (4) and John H White (3) each of whose relationship to John Southergate was described as 'natural son'. Ernest was born in 1886 (O/N/D Newark) and John Henry in 1888 (J/F/M Newark) and both births were registered in the surname Southerington.
Two more children were born to Sarah and John: George Edgar in 1891 (J/A/S Newark) and Fred in 1893 (J/F/M Newark). George's birth was registered in the surname Southerington but Fred's in the surname Bryan, Sarah's maiden name.
By 1901 John (41) a malster, and Sarah (42) were living on Side Row, Newark. Sarah's son, Robert, appears to have left home, but Ernest (14), John (13), George (9) and Fred (7) were in the house on the night of the census. All the family used the surname Southerington.
The family was living at 94 Beacon Hill ['Bottom Row'], Newark by 1911: John (51), a general labourer, Sarah (52) and Ernest (24), John (23), George (19) and Fred (17) whose occupations were also general labourer. John snr. completed the census as head of household and described all four boys as his sons, surnames Southerington and declared that he and Sarah had been married for 25 years ie. about 1886, the year of Ernest's birth; no record has been found of their marriage. Also in the household on the night of the census was John's niece, Liley (sic) Wright (10, b. Newark).
Ernest's brother, Fred, attested in 1914 using the surname Bryan. According to his service record he was still living at 94 Beacon Hill, Newark, and named his father, John Henry Southerington, of the same address as his next of kin. Ernest also enlisted in the surname Bryan and both boys' official records give their mother's name as Sarah Ann Bryan. Fred died in action in 1915 (see 'extra information' and separate record on this ROH).
John Henry Southerington died in 1923 (O/N/D Newark) and Sarah Ann in 1927 (J/F/M Newark); her death was registered in the surname Bryan.
Ernest married Daisy Hall in 1911 (J/A/S Newark, Bryan/Hall). Daisy Hall was born on 21 May 1888 (A/M/J Newark/Shaw) and was the daughter of James and Fanny Hall. In 1911 Doris (22), a tailoress, was living with her parents and brother James (36), a plaster chopper, at 107 Sleaford Road, Newark.
Ernest and Daisy had three children who were all born in Newark: John Henry b. 13 February 1912 (J/F/M Newark), James b. 6 February 1913 (J/F/M Newark) and Edna b. 1914 (O/N/D Newark) who died in 1915 (J/F/M Newark) before her first birthday.
At the time of Ernest's death in 1917 the family was living at 45 Bottom Row, Beacon Hill, Newark.
Daisy probably never remarried. In 1939, when the England & Wales Register was compiled, the widowed Daisy was still living at 45 Bottom Row. Also in the household were her two unmarried sons, John Henry, a brickworks setter, James, a bricklayers' labourer, and her unmarried brother, James Hall (b. 16 June 1874) a plaster works labourer.
Daisy may have died in 1965 (J/F/M Newark). John Henry died in 1987 (A/M/J Newark) and James in 1977 (A/M/J Newark).