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The British Baby Kidnapped By an Aristocrat’s Monkey
A naughty monkey terrified a family after snatching its infant and running off with it for the day
Human love for animals is such that we constantly believe we can make a pet out of practically any species. While some, like cats and dogs, typically make excellent companions, others can be much more problematic because of their specific needs and often unpredictable behavior. This includes an instance in 1870, when a British family was terrified after their neighbor’s pet monkey, Hulch, stole their infant son and disappeared for a day.
The July 9, 1870 issue of The Illustrated Police News, carried the wild story of what transpired a week earlier in Manxbridge, a tiny village in Somersetshire. A wealthy aristocratic gentleman identified by the last name of Judcote was known to keep a large pet monkey that he called Hulch. The primate was known in the area to be a curiosity, but generally harmless who didn’t bother anyone and “was warranted to be free from vice.” That is, until he wasn’t.
One of Judcote’s neighbors was a family by the name Hemmingway, and they had just given birth to a new baby boy. One day, Mrs. Hemmingway was strolling in her garden, as her younger sister, Clara, held the infant after begging for the privilege. The pair…
