October 31, 2024
MAYFAIR GHOST STORIES
THE LEGEND OF 50 BERKELEY SQUARE
Nestled in neighbourhood of Mayfair, this grand terraced mansion was built in 1750, but it wasn't until the late 19th century that it earned its title as the most haunted house in London. A series of people who have stayed in this same attic have experienced a 'strange brown mist' - and guests have either mysteriously died in the house or gone insane, ghost hunters say.
From 1859 until the early 1870s Thomas Myers, who was rumoured to have been rejected by his fiancée, lived in the house. He lived alone and it was said that he locked himself inside and slowly went mad until his death at the age of 76 in November 1874. During his residence in the house it fell into gross disrepair and its reputation began to develop.
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It is alleged that in 1872, on a bet, Lord Lyttleton stayed a night in the building's attic. He brought his shotgun with him and fired at an apparition. In the morning he attempted to find the apparition, but could only find shotgun cartridges. The following year the local council issued a summons to the house's owners for failure to pay taxes, but it is claimed that they were not prosecuted because of the house's reputation for being haunted.
In 1879 a piece in the Mayfair Magazine alleged that a maid who stayed in the attic room had been found mad and had died in an asylum the day after.
The maid was sent up to the room to make a bed for a visiting man, but no sooner had she gone upstairs did she let out a blood-curdling scream. The household rushed to her aid and found her collapsed on the floor, muttering to herself "don't let it touch me". She died in hospital the next day.
It was also alleged that after a nobleman spent the night in the attic room he was so paralyzed with fear that he could not speak
Huge Gaping Mouth
In 1887 it was alleged that two sailors from HMS Penelope stayed a night in the house. By morning one was found dead, having tripped as he ran from the house.
It reported that, as the door creaked open, they came face to face with a strange, shapeless creature with a huge gaping mouth, which seemed to slither into the room. The other reported having seen the ghost of Myers approaching them aggressively.
More than one spirit
Before going to bed he told the household that he would ring a bell in the night if he needed help. Just after midnight the bell began to ring furiously and he was found in convulsions of absolute terror. He died soon after.
While many believe the house is haunted by Mr Myers, some legends also tell that the attic is haunted by the spirit of a young woman who killed herself, jumping out the top floor window after being abused by her uncle.
The legend lives on
This hasn’t stopped its myth from being explored to the present day, however. The house has been referenced in television shows, such as Whitechapel, and has even appeared as a point of interest in the videogame Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, in a mission associated with Charles Dickens.
The legend of this humble, half-white, half charcoal house lives on to this day. And, it being surrounded by the beautiful gardens and strange statues of Berkely Square, remains a worthwhile stop-off point in any London ghost-tour.