Jacko the monkey's japes in Bishop Auckland - did you ever meet him?

After Herbert’s story last week, which was told by David Churn, John Davison got in touch to tell of Jacko, the pet monkey, also known as “the brat”, who lived with his family in Watling Road, Bishop Auckland, and travelled everywhere with his father in his coal delivery truck.

“In about 1938, when I was about three, Dad left him in the house with my mother and me and our dog, Digger,” says John. “I remember he was sat on the sideboard in our living room with a bowl of oranges beside him.

“Next thing, Jacko started throwing the oranges at us. We ended up hiding behind the settee feeling like we were the targets for Jacko at a coconut shy!

“When my Dad came back, Jacko would run up to him greeting him as if nothing had happened.”

After this incident, Jacko spent much more of his time on the road with Mr Davison.

“Dad often took Jacko to Cockton Hill Working Men’s Club,” says John. “Jacko loved a beer, and one day, he ended up running out of the front door and climbed a lamppost. Everyone watched as Dad climbed up after him to bring him down.”

These monkey stories always seem to have a sad ending. Last week, Herbert escaped from the Ramsey family’s care in Garbutt Street in Shildon and broke into the neighbouring slaughterhouse where he found a sheep which he rode around the street with everyone chasing him.

He died shortly afterwards because he couldn’t acclimatise to the south Durham weather.

“The last I heard about Jacko was that Dad had given him to a doctor in York, where he had chased some children at a party and eaten all of their food which killed him.

“Dad added that there had been a story about it in the Echo. I wonder if somehow you can verify it?”

Disappointingly, there is not a file in the Echo archive marked “monkey business”, so can anyone shed any light on the story of Jacko? Or do you have any other monkey stories.

READ MORE: REMEMBERING THE BISHOP AUCKLAND SLAUGHTERHOUSE AND CO-OP