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THE HARTLEPOOL MONKEY (Alan Wilkinson) Well, it's up and up in Hartlepool about the time of France, The Emperor Napoleon was leading all the dance, When up along the coast came a British man-o-war And the captain’s own good monkey got washed up on the shore. cho: Singing old folks, young folks, everyone and each Have come to see the Frenchie who's landed on the beach. He's got long arms and a great long tail and he's covered down in hair. We think that he's a spy, so we'll hang him in the square! Now the Lord Mayor of Hartlepool was walking down the shore When he saw this funny thing he'd never seen before. A-sitting in the sand was a little hairy man, Clutching a banana in his little hairy hand. Well the Lord Mayor fetched the Town Clerk who hurried to the shore. There they found this little man where he had been before. And a crowd had gathered 'round him 'cause he was the strangest sight Since the Sporting Club got fired on the previous Friday Night! Now, Constable Parsons, he hurried to the scene. He viewed the situation and he licked his pencil clean. He said, "Causing a disturbance is a serious offence And every thing you say, it will go down in evidence!” Well, when this little man spoke, a funny thing was heard, And Constable parsons couldn't understand a word. But the reason for his puzzlement the crowd could plainly see: This little man's a foreigner from far across the sea! So they hung... hung... this little Frenchie from the gallows in the town With a rope... rope... around his little necky-weck, and his tail all hanging down As a warning to Napoleon to make himself a rule And not to send his little hairy spies to dear old Hartlepool! The best known tradition and legend associated with the fishermen of Hartlepool is the story of the hanging of the monkey. Tradition attributes this legend to the Napoleonic wars at the beginning of the nineteenth century. It was a December day and the coast at Hartlepool was subject to a heavy battering of gales and snow, through which a French vessel called the Chasse Maree could be vaguely seen just off the Hartlepool headland. The fisherfolk of Hartlepool fearing an invasion kept a close watch on the French vessel as it struggled against the storm but when the vessel was severely battered and sorrowful looking survivor, the ship's pet monkey dressed to amuse in a military style uniform. The fishermen apparently questioned the monkey and held a beach-based trial. Unfamiliar with what a Frenchman looked like they came to the conclusion that this monkey was a French spy and should be sentenced to death. The unfortunate creature was to die by hanging, with the mast of a fishing boat (a coble) providing a convenient gallows. sunk they turned their attention to the wreckage washed ashore. Here are some sleeve notes: The song was written in the early sixties by Tee-sider Alan Wilkenson. It's the true story of how, during the Napoleonic wars, the people of Hartlepool tried and hanged @animal filename[ HARTMONK Feb07 |
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