The town that hung a monkey
The Napoleonic Wars saw fighting on land and sea in Europe- and also gave way to a bizarre piece of folklore
The start of the 19th century was dominated by war. Napoleon went to war with various nations around the world, with Britain’s Duke of Wellington being one of his more famous foes. Battles took place across the world, but it was a town on the North East coast of England that supposedly bore witness to the strangest moment in this period.
The wars took place over 12 years, from 1803 to 1815. During this time, Napoleon Bonaparte led the French as Emperor in many battles across continents. In England, the fear of invasion by the French fleet made the public suspicious of unknown ships.
None of the fighting during the Napoleonic Wars was done in England, but that’s not to say the war wasn’t experienced by those back home. Off the coast of Hartlepool in the North East of England, a French ship was spotted by the town folk. The ship was in distress and was sinking, and the chaotic scheme led many from the town to rush to the beach to watch on.
Now this is where the legend comes into it. The tale goes that only one soul survived the sinking ship, and this happened to be (apparently) a monkey. Washed up on the beach, it was dressed in a French military uniform. In addition to this, other factors were at play. Most of the people in Hartlepool had likely never met or seen a French person before, and this combined with depictions in the media of the French as short creatures with tails and claws most likely gave way to this reaction.
The only way the public in England, including the people of Hartlepool, could be kept in touch with the conflict was through newspaper reports and propaganda leaflets. With no other way to confirm details, it’s no surprise that the suspicions manifested into what happened next.
The next stage of the legend is that, after finding the monkey, decided to execute it. The uniform and the conclusion that this monkey was French resulted in fears of them having a French spy in their midst. The townsfolk decided to hang this unknown figure, and the legend was born.
It is entirely possible that the people of Hartlepool executed a monkey dressed as a French soldier over fears of it being a spy (read that out loud, it is as bizarre as it was in your head just then). Or, what is possibly more likely, is a darker outcome. Instead of a monkey, there is speculation that the townfolk could have hung a small boy who was part of the ship’s crew. During this time, these boys were employed on ships to help prime cannons with gunpowder and cannon balls before firing. In addition to this? They were called ‘powder monkeys’.
This would have been someone dressed in uniform. As a result, it is entirely possible that a boy was hung by the people of Hartlepool- not a monkey. This would be a tale that crosses more into the bleak than the bizarre.
It is two hundred years since the legend started, and over many of these, the monkey hangers label has been used as a rod with which to beat the people of Hartlepool. However, it is also something that the town has picked up and run with. The nickname of the local football club is ‘The Monkey Hangers’ with their mascot- ‘H’angus the Monkey’.
In 2002 successful town mayoral candidate Stuart Drummond campaigned dress as H’angus. His promise of free bananas for school children was, however, unfulfilled- although he did go on to serve for two more terms.
The legend has brought fame and notoriety to Hartlepool, which is now the home to the National Museum of the Royal Navy. local legend and folklore give character to a place, and this story is no different.
