Who attends an estate sale? Generally speaking (with some exceptions), it tends to be relatives and neighbors. Looking at the list of buyers can provide some insight into your deceased relative’s family, social connections, and neighbors.
This is an incomplete chart of the purchasers of property from the estate of Thomas Rampley in Coshocton County, Ohio, in 1823. There’s no guarantee that a chart will answer your specific questions about an ancestor, but doing some initial work on the purchasers may make something stick out that was not noticeable before.
| Purchaser | Known Relationship | 1820 Census | 1830 Census | comments |
| Randles, Abraham | ||||
| Miller, John H. | ||||
| Gilliam, Samuel | ||||
| Huffman, James | Tuscarawas, Coshocton | Jackson, Coshocton | Thomas’s son John married a Huffman | |
| Rampley, James | Son | |||
| Courtright, Jacob | Son-in-law | Jackson, Coshocton | ||
| Barkhurst, William | ||||
| Markley, Abraham | Bethlehem, Coshocton | There were Markleys in Hancock County, IL where Thomas’ son James settled | ||
| Bingerly, John | ||||
| Carr, Henry | Tuscarawas, Coshocton | |||
| Darling, Robert | Jefferson, Coshocton | |||
| Treadway, Crispan | Tuscarawas, Coshocton | Harford Co. MD native (like Thomas) who travelled with Thomas to Ohio. | ||
| Foster, David | Jackson, Coshocton | |||
| Markley, Martin | Tuscarawas, Coshocton | See other Markley comment | ||
| Demoss, John | Brother-in-law of Thomas | |||
| Bradford, Joseph | Newcastle, Coshocton | |||
| Rampley, Christianna | Widow of Thomas | |||
| Randles, Isaac | Jackson, Coshocton | |||
| Kimberly, William | Jefferson, Coshocton | |||
| Brouner, James | ||||
| Brouner, William | ||||
| Courtright, Abraham | ||||
| Kilbourne, Benjamin | ||||
| Cain, Abel | ||||
| Courtright, Isaac | ||||
| Markley, Amos | ||||
| Methaiu, Orinne | ||||
| Shores, James | Son-in-law |
One response
Thanks for this great tip, Michael. I will definitely do this and had never thought of doing it.