"Monkey hanger" is a colloquialnickname by which people from the town ofHartlepool in theceremonial county ofCounty Durham, England are sometimes known.[1]
According to local folklore, the term originates from an apocryphal incident in which amonkey washanged in the town ofHartlepool, England. During theNapoleonic Wars, a Frenchchasse-marée was wrecked in a storm off the coast of Hartlepool. The only survivor from the ship was a monkey, allegedly dressed in aFrench Army uniform to provide amusement for the crew. On finding the monkey on the beach, a group of locals decided to hold animpromptu trial. Because 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 must be a Frenchspy.[2] Being found guilty, the animal was duly sentenced to death and summarily hanged on the beach.
An earlier and remarkably similar monkey-hanging legend, with a similar associated song, refers to the inhabitants ofBoddam, Aberdeenshire.[3] With comparable lyrics and scansion ("And the Boddamers hung the Monkey, O"), it is plausible that 19th-centuryTyneside concert hall songwriter and performer,Ned Corvan, heard and adapted the song while travelling in theScottish Lowlands withBlind Willie Purvis.
Similar stories have also been told aboutMevagissey in Cornwall andGreenock in Scotland.
The earliest evidenced 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 any strong evidence for the development of the Monkey story", the song itself seems the most plausible origin for the myth.[4]
In former times, 'mid war an' strife,
When French invashin threaten'd life,
An' all was arm'd to the knife,
The Fishermen hung the Monkey, O!
The Fishermen wi' courage high,
Seized Monkey for a spy,
Hang him says yen, says another he'll die;
They did, an' they hung the Monkey, O!
They tried ivery means to myek him speak,
They tortor'd the Monkey tiv he loud did squeak;
Says yen that's French, says another it's Greek,
For the Fishermen then gat drunkey, O!
He's all ower hair some cheps did cry,
E'en up to summic cute an' sly;
Wiv a cod's heed then they closed an eye,
Afore they hung the Monkey, O!
The localfootball club,Hartlepool United F.C., capitalised on their "Monkey Hangers"nickname by creating amascot called "H'Angus the Monkey" in 1999. Two of the town's six rugby union clubs use variations of the hanging monkey, Hartlepool Rovers crest being a beret wearing monkey hanging from a gibbet, while Hartlepool RFC neckties sport a rugby ball kicking monkey suspended from a rope. One wearer of the monkey suit,Stuart Drummond, unexpectedly became the firstdirectly elected mayor of Hartlepool in 2002 while in the guise of H'Angus, but was forbidden from wearing the costume while in office.[6] A statue of the monkey has been erected on the Headland;[7] another atHartlepool Marina (formerly inWest Hartlepool) also serves to collect coins for a localhospice.[8] Although some Hartlepool residents find the term "monkey hanger" insulting,[9] a large number of residents have embraced the term and celebrate it as an important and unique characteristic of the town; as seen in the 2014 documentaryHeart of the Pools.[10]
The French comic bookLe Singe de Hartlepool by Wilfrid Lupano and Jérémie Moreau published in 2012 tells this story.[11]
In 2008, a novel based on the legend calledThe Hartlepool Monkey, written by Sean Longley, was published. The novel tells the story of the monkey, named Jacques LeSinge by the French doctor who discovers him, that was supposedly hanged. In the book, the monkey talks and possesses several other human characteristics.[12]
The Hartlepool Monkey also featured prominently in the playBestiary, written by Jim Burke and broadcast onBBC Radio 4 in 2003.[13]
In 2014, a documentary was made about the Hartlepool Monkey and its long-lasting significance to the city and its inhabitants calledHeart of The Pools.[14]workA radio play byIan Martin,The Hartlepool Spy, was broadcast onBBC Radio 4 on Christmas Day 2018, with a cast includingMichael Palin,Vic Reeves,Toby Jones,Gina McKee andMonica Dolan.[15]
The Northumbrian singer/songwriterJez Lowe has a satirical song "The Simian Son" (originally known as "The Monkey's Revenge") that was performed first in 2012. In it, the grandson of the ill-fated monkey reveals the simian curse under which Hartlepool has been living since the hanging.[16]
Another British singer/songwriter,Boothby Graffoe, released the single "Hartlepool" in 2021, detailing the story and relating it to other (less fictional) atrocities committed during theNapoleonic Wars.[17]
The Spanish-Portuguese co-produced short animated filmThe Monkey (2021) was based on the story of The Hartlepool Monkey. The film changes the setting from England to Ireland and from theNapoleonic Wars to theAnglo-Spanish War (1585–1604) and concerning theSpanish Armada in Ireland. The film, which starsColm Meaney, won theGoya for bestBest Animated Short Film in2021.[18]
