Ernest was the son of Samuel Straw and his wife Sarah nee Cope.
His father was born in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, and his mother in Newbold Verdon, Derbyshire, on 19 March 1876. Samuel and Sarah were married in 1896 (J/F/M Basford) and had had eight children by 1911 when they had been married for 15 years. Only seven of their children had survived infancy: William birth b,. 1896 (J/A/S Basford), Ernest b. 1897, Joseph b. abt 1899, Meynell b. 20 August 1901 (J/A/S Basford), George b. abt 1903, Elizabeth Annie (also k/a Annie Elizabeth) b 6 August 1907 (J/A/S Basford) and Elsie May b. 1910 (A/M/J Nottingham). Their sons were born in Newstead and their daughters in Radford. They later had another son, Thomas b. 20 January 1917 (birth registered 1917 Nottingham, mother's maiden name Cope).
In 1901 Samuel (34) a coal miner, and Sarah (25) were living at 54 Newstead Colliery Cottages, Newstead. In the home on the night of the census were their three sons, William (4), Ernest (3) and Joseph (1) and two boarders, Samuel Key (50) and Harry Geeson (18) who were both miners.
By 1911 the family was living at 17 Ronald Street, Radford. Samuel (44) was still working as a miner. All seven children were in their parents' home on the night of the census: William (14) and Ernest (13) who were both working as a 'rover frame doffer', Joseph (11), Meynell (9), George (7), Annie Elizabeth (3) and Elsie May (1).
Samuel and Sarah's youngest daughter, Elsie May, died in 1915 (J/A/S Nottingham) aged 5 years.
According to a notice of Ernest's death which appeared in the local paper in 1919, the family home was then at 52 Bloomsgrove Street, Radford. The same notice mentions that his brother Bill (William) was serving with the Colours.
Ernest's father Samuel probably died in 1936 (Mar Nottingham) aged 68.
In 1939 Samuel's widow Sarah Straw (b. 19 March 1876) was living at 52 Bloomsgrove Street, Radford. Also in the household were her youngest child Thomas Straw b. 20 January 1917, a tobacco warehouseman, her married daughter, Elizabeth Annie (sic) Duckworth (b. 6 August 1907) and Elizabeth's husband Albert Duckworth (b. 5 June 1901), a printing labourer, whom she had married in 1928 (J/F/M Nottingham). Also in the household were their two children, Annie Duckworth b. 30 August 1928 (m. Haydn H Brealey 1955 J/A/S Nottingham, d. 2000 Oct Nottingham age 72), and Reginal Duckworth b. 21 June 1923, both of whom were still at school.
Sarah Straw probably died in 1963 (Mar Nottingham, b. abt 1877) aged 86.