John Duncan was Whyte’s solicitor of the firm Roy Blunt Duncan and Johnstone, with offices in Westminster and the City. Duncan had a business connection with Jacob Connop, a City of London broker. When Whyte got into financial difficulties, Duncan and Connop took over the property and entered into new agreements with Ladbroke. They also had to guarantee money still owing to William Chadwick, Whyte's builder, which was secured on the land. Duncan took the land to the west of the future Ladbroke Grove and Connop took the land to the east.
Duncan could not raise the money for his substantial commitments and he couldn’t pay the builders. He had already got out of temporary difficulties by having some of his obligations guaranteed by his partners, Richard Roy and Pearson Thompson. But in 1842 he had to declare bankruptcy. Duncan’s partners found they had to get themselves all out of difficulties. They appointed Roy and Thompson as their trustees and representatives. They took on some of Duncan’s lands. Roy and Thompson ended up with control of 16 acres west of Ladbroke Grove, but south of St John’s Church .
The west was taken over by William Chadwick the builder to whom Duncan owed money from Whyte’s development. Chadwick sold his interest to Charles Henry Blake, who was one of Roy’s clients who have already lent Roy’s firm money to help them in their present financial problems. He went on to be one of the most successful developers in north Kensington. Chadwick and Blake had interests, not the land itself.