Is 50 Berkeley Square London’s Most Haunted House?

Berkeley Square is located  in the heart of Mayfair, one of London’s wealthiest and most prestigious boroughs. Property prices on the square easily run into multiples of millions, with many now owned by hedge funds and international investors. Originally, the square was home to London’s 18th and 19th Century elites. Prime Ministers, magnates and adventurers all called Berkeley Square their home. The location became so iconic that it was immortalized in song and literature and became synonymous with upper class living.  

However, Berkeley Square was not only renowned for its style and elegance. It was also well-known to be the location of what was once believed to be London’s most haunted house – 50 Berkeley Square. This impressive four-story townhouse was constructed during the time of the Napoleonic Wars at the beginning of the 19th Century. Initially, number 50, like the other houses in Berkeley Square, was home to some of London’s most important dignitaries, including former Prime Minister George Canning. However, in 1859 the property fell into the hands of one Thomas Myers, an eccentric recluse, who rarely ventured from his front door or entertained visitors. 

Before Myers became the chief occupant of the property, there were already rumours of ghosts there. One story alleged that the house was haunted by the spirit of a young female suicide victim, said to be capable of scaring witnesses to death. However, it was during Myers’ residency that the property really acquired a reputation for paranormal activity. The property fell into considerable disrepair and from the outside it began to look sinister and ghostly. The dilapidated grandeur of the building coupled with the strange reclusive behavior of its owner prompted many to view number 50 with suspicion and increasing unease. Myers eventually went mad and died alone at the property in 1874. 

After the death of Thomas Myers, it was some time before 50 Berkeley Square received new occupants. Understandably, London’s upper classes were not desperately keen on making the property their home. Nonetheless, eventually life returned to house and new owners took up residence. It wasn’t long before they too began to experience paranormal activity. According to a 1877 report in the Kensington Gazette, the new occupants had a very troubled time at 50 Berkeley Square. Within weeks of moving in they began noticing that their clothes were being inexplicably shredded, often whilst hung inside a cupboard overnight. Shortly after this, the family’s beloved cock spaniel vanished from the home whilst his owners slept and was never seen again. The torment reached a crescendo when one of the housemaids at the property lost her mind and was packed off to Bedlam, where she died some days later.

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