John Tharpe, an Englishman who came to the West Indies to seek his fortune, was one of the most successful of his kind - he actually did make a fortune, and lived like a king in some of the most elegant homes on the island. Tharpe made his money from slave trading, and slowly invested and purchased real estate and slaves till he became the largest slave owner on the island, with thousands of slaves working the soil of about 10 000 acres of plantation lands.

Although he had a choice of four sons from which to name an heir, all four displeased him, and upon his death in 1804, he named his grandson sole executor of his massive holdings. His grandson, however, was rather feeble-minded, but then, as is the case now, a feeble-minded man with an immense fortune was just as desirable as a smart man with an immense fortune! Several of the colony's most eligible young ladies vied for his attention, and eventually a marriage to a woman of titled lineage was arranged.

Unfortunately, it is said that poor young Tharpe was overwhelmed by the situation, and on his wedding night he became hysterical and practically lost his mind. He was never the same, and although he lived to nearly ninety years old, he never had much to do with the operation of the estates. His sad state plunged the family into a hotly contested battle over his grandfather's "dead-lef", and over the years the various properties fell into disrepair and decline.