By 1861 Sophia and her family had moved to Chester Road in Lower Bebington where Sophia was still the principal of a ladies' school Her husband was now working as both an accountant and a farmer. At this time Sophia's sister Elizabeth Mort was working as an assistant teacher and Sophia's daughter Elizabeth Ann Allbut had begun working as the music teacher at her mother's school. By 1871 Sophia and her family had moved again, this time to Chester, where her husband was a farmer of 170 acres and she was still running the ladies' school. In addition to Elizabeth Ann Allbut working as a music teacher, Helen Maria Allbut now was working as a teacher and Elizabeth Mort was the vice president of the school. Sometime between 1871 and 1879 Sophia and her family moved to Hendon, Middlesex where her ladies' school followed her. On 15 February 1879 Sophia's husband died in Hendon and she became the head of her household. She continued to work alongside Elizabeth Mort, Elizabeth Ann Allbut, Mary Dorothea Allbut, and Helen Maria Allbut to manage the affairs of the ladies' school.
