My iPad has an email address that I don't recognize I can not set it back up.

You have to enter the Apple ID and Password the iPad is locked to, or the device will be useless.

Find the original purchase receipt, with the iPad Serial Number on it and present it to Apple for assistance. Without the original purchase receipt, you may not be able to use the iPad again.

You don't have much to plug away with if you don't know and can't recover the Apple ID. There is no way to bypass activation lock. None whatsoever.

Sorry, you can continue to fiddle, but you'll likely realize it's time for a new or refurbished iPad.

Whatever you do, don't buy a used one from anyone you don't know. I wrote this and uploaded this last night about buying used iPads.

The All Too Common SAD Reality of Buying … - Apple Community

Did you purchase the iPad brand new or used?