06/10/2026
**What does the Yorkshire Dales have to do with Black history?**
At first glance, you might not expect we'd have very much to say for Black History month. But history is rarely as straightforward as it first appears.
In fact, there have been people from the global majority living in the Dales for several hundred years.
Audrey Dewjee's research into the Black and Asian history of the Yorkshire Dales has uncovered stories of enslavement, migration, resistance and belonging – as well as links between Dales families, the Caribbean and the East India Company.
There’s the story of Thomas Anson, an enslaved man who escaped from a farm near Dent and later joined the army. There’s Mally Gibson, a knitter from Garsdale who very likely had an African ancestor. And there are stories of Dales people who supported the abolition movement.
Read more about an exhibition based on her work here: https://www.dalescountrysidemuseum.org.uk/projects-dales-countryside-museum/hidden-history/
As she puts it: **“There’s black history everywhere.”**
So this Black History Month, we’re taking a look at some of the stories that have been hidden in the Dales’ past – and asking what else might still be waiting to be discovered. If you have any of your own stories or know about connections, do let us know.
👉 Read the latest update on her research in Anson here: https://runaways.gla.ac.uk/blog/
A talk held at the Dales Countryside Museum has revealed fresh evidence of local involvement in all aspects of the 18th and 19th century trade in enslaved people, and uncovered […]
