42 Kent Street is said to be one of the most haunted buildings in Portsmouth, with stories of up to nine ghosts. The best known is Little George, a boy said to sit on the stairs. The building appeared in the 2021 series of the television programme Help! My House Is Haunted. These are stories, and we tell them as stories.
Everything on this page is folklore. We have not seen a ghost. We have, however, only just got the keys.
Who is Little George?
The best known ghost of the Old Benny is a boy called Little George. It is said that he was a pupil who was badly treated here, and that he has been seen sitting on the stairs. We have not found his name in any record, which is how you can tell he is a proper ghost.
If you switch the hall light off on our home page, you may find him.
Who is the French girl?
The television ghost hunter Fred Batt, known from Most Haunted, led an investigation in the building and called it "really active". He reported a girl who spoke to his equipment in broken English and then in French, which a French speaking guest translated.
How many ghosts are there?
The number most often given is nine. We cannot account for the other seven. When the building was a theatre, ghost hunts were held here regularly, and in 2021 it was featured in the third series of Help! My House Is Haunted.
Is it actually haunted?
It is a building of 1784. Generations of children were taught here, and for well over two centuries people have gathered in it after dark. If any building in Portsea has earned a few stories, it is this one.
Come and decide for yourself. For the things we can prove, read the history of the Old Beneficial School, or the tale of Charles Dickens and the ball.
