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"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 of the type chasse marée 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. An alternative theory is that it was a young boy who was hanged (the term "powder-monkey" was commonly used for children employed on warships to prime the cannon with gunpowder).
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 with Blind Willie Purvis.
The Hartlepool monkey in popular culture
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, 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. A statue of the monkey has been erected on the Headland; another at Hartlepool Marina (formerly in West Hartlepool) also serves to collect coins for a local hospice. Although some Hartlepool residents find the term "monkey hanger" insulting, a large number of residents have embraced the term and celebrate it is an important and unique characteristic of the town; as seen in the 2014 documentary Heart of the Pools
The French comic book Le Singe de Hartlepool by Wilfrid Lupano and Jérémie Moreau published in 2012 tells this story.
The Electric Six song "Unnatural Beauty" from their 2013 album Mustang makes reference to the term Monkey Hanger and its association with Hartlepool with the lyrics:
In 2008, a novel based on the legend called The 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.
The Hartlepool Monkey also featured prominently in the play Bestiary, written by Jim Burke and broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2003.
In 2014, a documentary was made about the Hartlepool Monkey and its long-lasting significance to the city and its inhabitants called Heart of The Pools.