Posibly British historic origin....but....Some say the lincoln-monkey story orginated from David H. Strother and associates. He was born in West Virginia, was from a slave-owning family, and was opposed to secession. He was an artist and writer for Harper's Weekly who went by the pseudonym "Porte Crayon'.

Here is a cartoon attributed to him:http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/arts/drawings/Cartoonography/americacaricature/AbrahamLincoln/monkey.htm