From Allan's Illustrated Edition of Tyneside Songs and Readings. With Lives, Portraits, and Autographs of the Writers, and Notes on the Songs. Newcastle-upon-Tyne: T. & G. Allan, 1891.

THE FISHERMEN HUNG THE MONKEY, O!
[Edward Corvan]
^^

"The Fishermen hung the Monkey, O!" These words are the greatest insult you can offer to the Hartlepool fishermen. It is supposed when Napoleon the Great threatened to invade England the Fishermen were loyal and patriotic, and ever on the look-out for spies. A vessel having been wrecked about this time, all on board perished with the exception of a monkey, which was seized by the fishermen for a French spy, and hung because he could not or would not speak English.—Author’s Note.

TUNE—"The Tinker's Wedding."

IN former times, 'mid war an' strife,
When French invashin threatened life,
An' all was arm'd te the knife,
    The Fishermen hung the Monkey, O!
The fishermen, wi' courage high,
Seized the Monkey for a spy.
Hang him says yen, says another he'll die;
    They did, an' they hung the Monkey O!

Chorus.
(To sympathise with the unfortunate Monkey, altogether.)
Dooram, dooram, dooram, da, etc.

They tried ivery means te myek him speak,
They tortor'd the Monkey tiv he loud did squeak;
Says yen that's French, says anuther it's Greek,
    For the Fishermen then gat drunkey, O!
He's all ower hair sum cheps did cry,
E'en up te summic cute an' sly;
Wiv a cod's heed then they closed an eye,
    Afore they hung the Monkey, O!

Spoken.—Ladies an' cheps, a chorus this time to mark our disapprobashin o' the Pugnaeshis Fishermen for closin' the ogle ov the unfortunate monkey.

Dooram, etc.

Some the Monkey's fate they did bewail,
For all the speechless pug had his tail (tale),
He'd been better off i' Durham jail,
    For the Monkey wis tornin funkey, O!
They said he myed some curose mugs,
When they shaved his head an' cut off his lugs,
Sayin' that's the game for French humbugs,
    Afore they hung the Monkey, O!

Spoken.—Chorus in considerashin of the removal and total annihilashin of the Monkey's auricular organ by all those who have an ear for gorilla sensashins.

Dooram, etc.

Hammer his ribs, the thunerin thief,
Pummel his pyet weel wi' yor neef,
He's landed here for nobbit grief,
    He's aud Napoleon's Uncky, O!
Thus to the Monkey all hands behaved,
Cut off his whiskers one chep raved;
Another bawled oot he's never been shaved,
    So they commenced to scrape the Monkey, O!

Chorus.
(After the style of "Lather and shave 'em.")
Dooram, etc.

Now let us hope that ever at sea
We'll still maintain sovereignty,
May France and England long agree,
    An' nivor at each other get funkey, O!
As regards poor Pug aw've had my say,
His times they've past for mony a day,
But in Hartlepool, noo, thou'll hear lads say—

Spoken.—Aw asy, Mistor, mother says it, she telled me te ax ye, te tell me te tell her; if ye tell me,—aw say, Mistor, can ye tell us—

(Sings)—Whe hung the Monkey, O?

Dooram, etc.

CORVAN. Author’s Manuscript, 1862.