Hung, hanged or strung up

[j.sabourn]

Was just going to say before the post was closed , that I have heard the expression hung like a monkey only because of its reference to a French spy, but more often in a reference to a donkey , however the former ref. Unless it was maybe a gorilla makes me wonder. Makes me feel a bit inferior. Such is life. JS

[happy daze john in oz]

Story is of a Monkey hanged in a north England town as considered to be a French spy.

Could well be true as the French I doubt would be able to tell the difference, just thought he had a very warm coat on and had not shaved for a few days.

[Keith at Tregenna]

The French knew it was a monkey.

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’.

There could perhaps be a darker side to the tale – maybe they didn’t actually hang a ‘monkey’ but a small boy or ‘powder-monkey’. Small boys were employed on warships of this time to prime the canons with gunpowder and were known as ‘powder-monkeys’.

Whatever the truth, the legend of Hartlepool and the hanged monkey has endured for over 200 years.

K.

[John Pruden]

they dont like the saying who hung the monkey over there?? jp

[j.sabourn]

I think it would be hard for any Englishman whatever part of the uk he came from not to have heard the story. It is part of folklore now.
JS

[John Pruden]

john somewhere at the back of my grey matter i did see something about a highway man hung and his horse too dont know how true it is?

[vic mcclymont]

Greenock was also famed for hanging monkey.
Vic

[cappy]

they dont like the saying who hung the monkey over there?? jp

its interesting john i have been out with the hartlepool life boat a couple of times and they are very proud to wear a hung monkey on there lifeboat rig .....a fine crew to be with ....cappy

[John Pruden]

caapy my dad always said dont say it over there you will get filled in jp

[Michael Black]

I believe that that the Hereema offshore construction yard in Hartlepool has a tradition of having a hung monkey on every structure they build. I was working on the Tyne on a big construction and some units were fabricated in Hereema’s yard, when they came up on the barge you could see the monkey hanging quite easily.
One of the American representatives for the owners was fascinated by the story and took the monkey as a souvenir, saying he would dine out on that story many times at home.
Regards Michael