The Ghosts of Berkeley Square (1947) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

They were court-martialed for crimes against the Crown after their failed plot to capture the Duke of Marlborough. The court sentenced them to haunt their Berkeley Square residence until a reigning monarch actually visited the property, a condition that would not be met for over two centuries.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the 18th century, they hatched a reckless plan to prevent what they saw as imminent slaughter at the Battle of Malplaquet.

• court-martial
• crimes against the crown
• sentence
• haunting condition

They died testing a trapdoor device they built to capture the Duke of Marlborough. The plan was to drop him through a trapdoor onto a mattress waiting in the cellar, but during the test the mattress had been removed. When they tested the device, they fell through and died, which also prevented a planned visit by Queen Anne.

Foreshadowing: The trapdoor was installed in their Berkeley Square house as part of their scheme to neutralize Marlborough.

• trapdoor
• death
• Marlborough
• test device

They believed the Battle of Malplaquet would be a catastrophic slaughter and wanted to prevent it by capturing Marlborough and holding him prisoner until the threat of hostilities passed. Their plan was desperate and reckless, driven by their fear of massive casualties.

Foreshadowing: The Duke of Marlborough had his own plans that would push toward the climactic battle they desperately wanted to avoid.

• Duke of Malplaquet
• battle
• prevent war
• capture Marlborough

The court-martial sentence bound them to the house as a haunting requirement. They could only leave the property once a reigning monarch actually visited Berkeley Square. This condition remained unmet for over two centuries, trapping them in spectral limbo.

Foreshadowing: The decree from their court-martial specifically tied their afterlife to a royal visitation requirement.

• haunting rules
• bound to house
• royal visit requirement

The visit was cancelled because Burlap and Kelsoe died during their trapdoor test on the very day Queen Anne was expected to arrive. Their deaths rendered the royal visit impossible, though the full historical consequences of this alteration remained unclear to them.

Foreshadowing: They died testing their trapdoor device, which they had built specifically to manipulate events during this period.

• Queen Anne
• cancelled visit
• death
• historical impact

They received a Christmas package and a Christmas tree, which prompted a small but stubborn reconciliation. The gifts softened their years of quarrelling and blaming each other for their failed scheme, ending their cold silence.

Foreshadowing: They had been blaming each other for the trapdoor disaster and drifted into bitter silence after their deaths.

• reconciliation
• Christmas
• forgiveness
• 66 years

Burlap used a ghostly Kelsoe to help cheat at cards to pay the debts they owed Millie for services. When the deception was uncovered, a massive fight erupted, leading to Millie and her girls being arrested and the bordello being trashed and shut down. The King's equerry then prevented any royal visit from occurring.

Foreshadowing: Millie had charged them for services and damages, leaving them with no money to pay.

• bordello
• Millie
• cheating
• arrest
• closed down

Dr. Cruickshank of the Psychical Research Society visited to investigate the haunting. To avoid being branded a liar or having the Society dissolved, Cruickshank branded the whole thing as a hoax involving T.B. Farnum's fake tours. This caused the Prince Consort to cancel the royal visit.

Foreshadowing: Burlap and Kelsoe decided to perform as living ghosts to counter the counterfeit tours, attracting official scrutiny.

• Prince Albert
• Dr Cruickshank
• hoax
• cancelled visit
• psychical research

Burlap and Kelsoe secretly gave Captain Dodds penicillin, which helped him recover from his injuries. Dodds was originally too weak to visit the palace to receive his Victoria Cross, which would have brought Queen Victoria to the hospital instead. Once he improved enough to visit the palace, the ghosts warmly welcomed this turn of events.

Foreshadowing: The house had become a soldiers' hospital during the Boer War, giving the ghosts an opportunity to help.

• Captain Dodds
• Victoria Cross
• penicillin
• Boer War
• recovery

Queen Mary visited the damaged Berkeley Square property after an air raid during World War I devastated the building. This royal visit finally fulfilled the condition of their sentence, allowing the spirits to take their rightful place in the afterlife.

Foreshadowing: The house had been bombed in WWI, leaving it in ruins and prompting royal inspection.

• Queen Mary
• royal visit
• afterlife
• release
• WWI bombing

It was a science-fiction twist that allowed radio and television to bridge the gap between the living and the spirits. This technology enabled Burlap and Kelsoe to finally tell their long-walled secret to a broad audience at the Old Ghosts Association's 1000th Annual dinner.

Foreshadowing: The story begins at this dinner where the ghosts recount their tale to the public.

• inter-terrestrial hookup
• radio
• television
• spirits
• communication

They wanted to keep the property haunted because they feared that if a living person purchased and occupied the house, it would deter any potential royal guest from visiting. By maintaining the house's haunted reputation, they preserved their chance at eventual release.

Foreshadowing: Their sentence required a royal visit, which they believed could only happen if the house remained unoccupied and reputedly haunted.

• Lady Mary
• scare
• haunted house
• prevent purchase
• royal visit