The people of Hartlepool were unfamiliar with monkeys and had never encountered a French person before.
However, they had seen British cartoons that depicted the French as monkey-like beings with tails and claws.
They restrained the monkey’s limbs, brought it to the town square, and began an interrogation.
The town’s leaders bombarded the monkey with questions: Where is Napoleon?
What are the French planning?
Could an invasion be imminent?
They presumed it to be French.
The monkey’s inability to communicate in English only fueled the frustration of the Hartlepool residents.
Thus concludes the tale of the Hartlepool monkey.
But the question lingers: is this narrative rooted in truth?
A powder monkey on a Union vessel during the American Civil War.
Apart from this, there’s scant historical evidence supporting the event’s occurrence.
None were French ships.
Nonetheless, there exists a substantial contingent of believers.
Of course it happened, said Stuart Drummond, who had been Hartlepools mayor three times.
It is too bizarre a story to make up so there must be some element of truth in it.
Over time, the towns merged, and the tale became synonymous with all of Hartlepool.
The residents of Hartlepool proudly embraced the moniker “Monkey Hangers.”
Similarly, the local Rugby Union team, Hartlepool Rovers, are known as the Monkeyhangers.
The legend has inspired many plays, movies, documentaries and literary works as well.
says one; “he’s to die"They did and they hung the monkey Oh!
Thus to the Monkey all hands behaved"Cut off his whiskers!”
“They did, and they hung the Monkey O!.
“He’s all ower hair!”
