Harley Street was already known as a wealthy locale by the time of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility (1813), in which she has the Dashwood sisters, Lucy Steele, Mrs Jennings, Edward Ferrars, and others spend some of their free time there while in London. It remained so later that century – in Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South (1854–55), Margaret Hale lived with her aunt Mrs. Shaw and cousin Edith in a house on Harley Street for nine years, before she moved with her parents to the fictional northern town of Milton, whilst in Henry James' The Turn of the Screw (1898), the wealthy uncle at the beginning of the work apparently has a house on Harley Street.
Notable occupants
Many famous people have lived on Harley Street, including the Victorian Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone, and the artist J. M. W. Turner. Queen's College, founded in 1848 and one of the oldest girls' schools in England, is situated on Harley Street.
Since the 19th century it has housed private specialists in medicine and surgery. This also drew it into London's criminal history in the form of the "Harley Street mystery", in which on 3 June 1880 the body of a 4ft 10 woman in her thirties was found in the basement of number 139 (then occupied by a merchant) in a barrel of chloride of lime - an inquest called Professor Augustus Pepper and Dr Frederick William Spurgin but she was never identified.
Since the 19th century the number of doctors, hospitals, and medical organisations in and around Harley Street has increased. Records show that there were around 20 doctors in 1860, 80 by 1900, and almost 200 by 1914. When the National Health Service was established in 1948, there were around 1,500. There are more than 3,000 people employed in the Harley Street area now, in clinics, medical and paramedical practices, and hospitals.
John Langdon Down moved in 1881 with his medical practice from 47 Welbeck Street to 81 Harley Street.
Lionel Logue (speech therapist), from Australia, had his practice at No.146. He helped King George VI overcome his stammer with lessons here. There is a Green Plaque.
Sir Morell Mackenzie, the 'Father of British Laryngology' lived in 19, Harley Street till his death. Involved in the great controversy while treating the German Crown Prince Fredrick III, the Son-in-law of Her Majesty Queen Victoria for his laryngeal disease, allegedly cancer of the left vocal cord which led to the demise of the Emperor in 1888.
Mary Scharlieb, Dame and pioneer woman doctor had a medical practice and lived at 149 Harley Street, London.[citation needed]
Zack Polanski, Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, had a hypnotherapy clinic on Harley Street, which became the centre of controversy in 2013.
↑Registry of Deeds, Dublin. Memorial: 1865-030-121. Registered: 20/10/1865. Memorial of a certain Deed of Assignment bearing date the Twenty first day of August one thousand eight hundred and sixty five and made between Mary Boole of 68 Harley Street, London, Widow and Executrix of the Last Will and Testament of George Boole late of Litchfield Cottage Blackrock in the County of Cork Esquire...
