Sharp Stone - SHEPPERD

[robweldon]

I have a possible Shepperd relation on the 1841 census for Freshford.  The address is Sharp Stone, Freshford in the reg district of Bradford Union. 
One question I have is where is Freshford or Bradford Union in Somerset ?
My main question is, what actually is at the Sharp Stone address ?  It appears to be a family with 14 extra children with varying surnames.  My Shepperd is more than likely an orphan, so I wonder who these people are who are looking after her.
RG No HO107      Piece 931     Book/Folio 8/8     Page  11

Thankyou for any assistance
Rob

[heywood]

Hi Rob,
I think if you look at the address there is a school master so it does appear to be a school of some sort.
You could google Sharpstone, as I did and find references to it being a hamlet in the Freshford area.
Similarly looking for Freshford on the google map shows you where it is along with Sharpstone and this may aid you with your ancestor's origins.
Again by searching you can get http://www.freshford.com/rose1.htm and another one http://www.freshford.com/rose2.htm where someone has detailed their family including two who were teachers in Freshford and these two people can be found at Sharpstone in 1851 census. There is a photo of a Methodist school too.
Mary Sheppherd is listed as a pupil - there is a surname below her on the census which has been interpreted as 'ditto' - Sheppherd - Charlotte but I am not too sure.

hope this helps
heywood

[robweldon]

Thank you Heywood,
I only had a transcript of the Freshford census so didn't realise that the Shepperd girls were pupils and that there was a school master there.  I found a Charlotte and a Mary Ann on the 1851 census living in different places, but both claimed to be born at Bath, and in the same years as on the 1841 census.  This Charlotte is living with her grandfather, so now I should be able to find out more about them.  They travelled together to Australia in 1857.
There is only one other Sheppard on the 1851 Freshford census at Staple Hill, and that is a Mary who is 40 years old, so she is possibly related.  It has taken a long time to trace Charlotte and hopefully I am now on the right track.
Thanks again, Rob

[heywood]

sounds promising

good luck

heywood