Thomas Tharp was born around 1640. He died in 1686 in Kent, MD at 46 years of age. He was married twice, the name of his first wife is unknown. His second wife, Elizabeth (last name unknown), bore him two children and then ran off with another man, according to Thomas's will.
"Marjorie Hancock, a Tharp researcher, has Tharps who came from County Kent, England.
What we know about Thomas is that he was probably born in England about 1640 and lived in Virginia from 1660-1674. Thomas purchased 200 acres known as "Pentridge" from Jacob Johnson on Langford Cay (Bay), Kent Co., MD on Apr. 2, 1674. He paid 4300 pounds of tobacco and cash for it. Because he bought the land with tobacco, it is likely that he owned land previously. Some sources postulate that he first owned land in Virginia. Many people migrated from Virginia in the 1660s because of religious persecution and the religious freedom promised in Maryland which was then a part of Pennsylvania. There was, however, a Thomas Tharp of similar age in Woodbridge, NJ who married Rebecca Milward Mar. 27, 1656 in Boston, MA that might give us related clues. They had 8 children: Thomas, William, Daniel, Zebulon, George, Joseph, Benjamin, and Ann.
The land he purchased in Kent Co., MD was close to if not on Quaker Neck. Although Thomas was not a Quaker, the Tharps often lived near Quakers and some of them married into Quaker families. A note of interest in Robert L. Tharp's book, is that Thomas is known not to be a Quaker because he started his will with "In the name of God, Amen," a manner never used by Quakers. He died before Nov. 21, 1686 in that same county as his will was probated then. In his will he named: son, William, underage; daughter, Elizabeth, probably under age, neither with heirs, son Thomas Thorp, daughter, Mary Thorp. He dispossessed his "rebellious wife Elizabeth Tharp ... because she is gone away in another Country with James Carle and have carried a great parte of my goods along with her and lives in adultery with him." He made his friend, Robert Erick his executor and appointed guardian for his two underage children. He bequeathed him the land meant for William and Elizabeth if they had no heirs."