Madness Monday: Shoes!

My great-great-great-great-grandmother was Sarah Shoe (don't you just love that name?!) and until recently she was a brick wall. Sarah was born around 1806, probably in Churchill, Somerset, England. She married William Shepstone/Shipston and had three daughters, Charlotte (my line), Elizabeth and Ellen (or Helen). Sarah died in 1832 (around the time she had Ellen/Helen) in Churchill. Sarah's husband died about five years later, leaving their children orphans at around the ages of 10, 9 and 5. I always wondered who Sarah Shoe was and what happened to the girls after their parents died. Then awhile back, I found Charlotte and Ellen/Helen in the 1841 census, apparently living by themselves. But clicking on the image reveals they were in fact living with George and Mary Shoe (transcribed as "Thoe").

I believe George and Mary were Sarah's parents and the girls' grandparents but have not been able to confirm it. Other things I want to learn about my Shoes are: Who were Sarah's siblings? When exactly was Sarah born and where? Why are there two wedding dates (three years apart) for William Shepstone and Sarah? Who were George's parents and siblings? What was Mary's maiden name and who were her family? Was George married more than once and if so, who was Sarah's mother? Where did the Scholl rumor come from and what evidence is there that was actually the family's surname? Why isn't Elizabeth listed with her sisters in 1841? While I'm still in the middle of researching all this, it has been a bit disheartening because I haven't gotten very far in answering any of my questions. Don't you just hate it when a brick wall comes down only to be built right back up again?!

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