Monkey Hanging Tuesday

After Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we proudly present Monkey Hanging Tuesday.

You may or may not know that, according to legend and folklore, during the Napoleonic wars the good people of Hartlepool put on trial and executed a shipwrecked monkey as they believed it to be a French spy.

In fairness to the townsfolk, the monkey was dressed in full French military uniform so you can see how their suspicions were aroused.

Another theory abounds that they were only able to claim salvage rights if there were no survivors from the shipwreck and they needed to put paid to the monkey so they could fill their boots with the booty.

Either way, this act of simian capital punishment has given Hartlepool unique notoriety and fame. Fans of Hartlepool are affectionately labelled "monkey hangers"and its own mascot is a monkey named, you guessed it, H'Angus.

This ridiculous and bizarre incident has provided a rich source of comedy ever since 1810 as this witty little ditty from Boothby Graffoe demonstrates.