Monkey Hanger

 Hartlepool-Monkey

Is it possible to mistake a boy for a monkey? Apparently so according to today’s weird Wikipedia article, unearthed by the Wikiworm…

Monkey hanger” is a term by which Hartlepudlians are often known.

According to local folklore, the term originates from an incident in which a monkey was hanged in Hartlepool, England. During the Napoleonic Wars, a French ship was wrecked off the coast of Hartlepool. The only survivor was a monkey, allegedly wearing a French uniform to provide amusement for the crew. On finding the monkey, some locals decided to hold an impromptu trial on the beach; since the monkey was unable to answer their questions and because they had seen neither a monkey nor a Frenchman before, they concluded that the monkey was in fact a French spy. Being found guilty, the animal was duly sentenced to death and hanged on the beach. The vertical part of the ship’s mast he was hanged from is still visible on the beach between the Pilot pier and the Heugh.

An alternative theory is put forward alongside the above on the “This Is Hartlepool” town guide.

It states: “Then there are some who point to a much darker interpretation of the yarn. They say that the creature that was hanged might not have been a monkey at all; it could have been a young boy. After all, the term powder-monkey was commonly used in those times for the children employed on warships to prime the cannon with gunpowder.”

However, the earliest mention of the hanging is from the popular song, written and performed by 19th century comic performer, Ned Corvan, “The Monkey Song”. Given that “only after Corvan’s appearances in Hartlepool is there strong evidence for the development of the Monkey story”, the song seems the most plausible origin for the myth.

An earlier and remarkably similar monkey-hanging legend with a similar associated song refers to the inhabitants of Boddam, Aberdeenshire. With similar lyrics and scansion (“And the Boddamers hung the Monkey, O”) it is plausible that Ned Corvan heard and adapted the song while travelling the Scottish Lowlands.

The Monkey Song

In former times, mid war an’ strife,
The French invasion threatened life,
An’ all was armed to the knife,
The Fishermen hung the Monkey O!
The Fishermen wi’ courage high,
Seized on the Monkey for a spy,
“Hang him” says yen, says another,”He’ll die!”
They did, and they hung the Monkey O!.
They tortor’d the Monkey till loud he did squeak
Says yen, “That’s French,” says another “it’s Greek”
For the Fishermen had got drunky, O!
“He’s all ower hair!” sum chap did cry,
E’en up te summic cute an’ sly
Wiv a cod’s head then they closed an eye,
Afore they hung the Monkey O!

The local football club, Hartlepool United F.C., capitalised on their “Monkey Hangers”nickname by creating a mascot called “H’Angus the Monkey” in 1999. One wearer of the monkey suit called Stuart Drummond unexpectedly became the first directly elected mayor of Hartlepool in 2002 while in the guise of H’Angus, but was forbidden from wearing the costume while in office.

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About Author Profile: Worm

In between dealing with all things technological in the Dabbler engine room, Worm writes the weekly Wikiworm column every Saturday and our monthly Book Club newsletters.

One thought on “Monkey Hanger

  1. johngjobling@googlemail.com'
    malty
    June 20, 2015 at 09:35

    ‘Tis a pity that Wellington never hung the other French monkey. Poor old Hartlepool, once produced 2000 fridges per week, until the Hungarians produced 3000, with fewer people.

    Story of their life, really.

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