" Monkey hanger " is a colloquial nickname by which people from the town of Hartlepool in the ceremonial county of County Durham, England are sometimes known. [1] According to local folklore, the term originates from an apocryphal incident in which a monkey was hanged in the town of Hartlepool, England.

Legend has it that during the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century, a shipwrecked monkey was hanged by the people of Hartlepool, believing him to be a French spy! To this day, people from Hartlepool are affectionately known as ‘monkey hangers’.

Jan 13, 2017 · The monkey was found guilty, sentenced to death, and hanged on the beach. Folklorists who researched the origins of the story found a more logical explanation. According to their theory, at the time, the term “powder monkey” was commonly used for boys who worked on warships to prime the cannon with gunpowder.

Aug 17, 2023 · According to the tale, on a stormy night, a French ship was discovered sinking off the coast of Hartlepool. Among the wreckage, the townspeople found a lone survivor—the ship's monkey, dressed in a tiny military uniform, likely for the entertainment of the crew.

Sep 29, 2017 · After questioning the poor monkey for hours and failing to get any answers in English, they held a trial and convicted him of being a French spy. He was sentenced to die by hanging. A gallows was made from bits of the shipwreck, and the monkey was hanged in the town square. Well, that’s the legend anyway…

Jun 23, 2023 · Sentenced to death, the Hartlepool monkey was hanged on a scaffold made of the ships wreckage. ‘The Bone of Contention or the English Bull Dog and the Corsican Monkey’ was an 1803 satirical print which played on the English fear of a French invasion.

Mar 12, 2024 · During the Napoleonic Wars, a French ship of the type chasse marée was wrecked in a storm off the coast of Hartlepool. The only survivor from the ship was a monkey, allegedly dressed in a French army uniform to provide amusement for the crew.

The local Rugby Union team Hartlepool Rovers are known as the Monkeyhangers, Hartlepool United F.C.’s mascot is a monkey called H’Angus the Monkey. A visit to Hartlepool Maria will spring up the odd Monkey – a lifeboat donation Monkey exists close to the harbour entrance of Hartlepool Marina.

Sep 16, 2017 · Mistaking its chattering for the language of the enemy, they convicted the monkey of being a French spy and hanged the animal on the beach. Or so the story goes. The townsfolk became known as...

Aug 5, 2023 · In a trial that could rival the most eccentric of court dramas, the townspeople, with a combination of earnestness and humor, “convicted” the innocent monkey of its supposed espionage endeavors. And, in a display of theatrical justice, they decided to hang the poor creature on the beach.