Written By David Gomez
Have any of you ever encountered a ghost? I certainly haven’t, but I’ve always enjoyed listening to a good ghost story.
I still remember the frightening tales told at my great-grandmother’s house in a small town in north-central Peru. Built in the mid-19th century, the old house creaked whenever the cold Andean winds swept through as we prepared for bed. In the main dining room hung portraits of long-departed ancestors. I remember their eyes seeming to follow us wherever we went. The old wooden floors groaned beneath every step, and the unmistakable smell of age lingered throughout the house. It was the perfect setting for ghost stories that would keep us awake long into the night.
On Halloween, this reporter joined several members of the London Writers Society for a private tour of Eldon House, one of London’s oldest residences. We learned about the Harris family, who called the house home for generations, and heard some rather unsettling stories. We also explored Victorian customs that today might seem strange, inappropriate or downright bizarre.
Perhaps the most intriguing was the story of Sarah Harris, a daughter of John and Sarah Harris, the couple who built Eldon House. According to a local legend, Sarah witnessed the mysterious appearance of a young British officer, Wenman Wynniatt, in 1841.
Sarah was speaking with three gentlemen when Wynniatt suddenly entered the room. He looked directly at her but said nothing, walking calmly towards the dining room. Sarah found his behaviour peculiar, especially when he failed to return.
The following morning, her father asked whether she had seen the officer the previous evening. When she confirmed his mysterious appearance, he revealed that Wynniatt’s body had been discovered in the Thames River.
Even more unsettling, his watch had supposedly stopped at 10:15 p.m., the very hour Sarah claimed to have seen him. A rose she had given him was still tucked into his buttonhole.
The account appeared in W. T. Stead’s Real Ghost Stories in 1891, decades after the alleged incident. Whether supernatural or simply a story embellished over time, it remains part of Eldon House’s folklore.
But ghosts were only part of our visit.
The museum’s Halloween displays explored Victorian mourning traditions, including elaborate black clothing, mourning jewellery and keepsakes made from human hair. We also encountered an exhibition about spiritualism, complete with a Ouija board, reflecting the era’s fascination with communicating with the dead.
A portrait of Queen Victoria reminded us how deeply mourning influenced Victorian society, particularly following Prince Albert’s death in 1861.
Built in 1834, Eldon House offers much more than ghost stories. Its rooms, furnishings and family history provide a remarkable glimpse into another century.
And who knows? Perhaps some of those old houses have a few spooky stories left to tell.
