Jossie and Ann Blackah  (nee Dunn) Portrait taken at Portsea	For a larger photographs please click on the respective image	Thomas and Miriam Blackah (nee Mackwell) Son of Jossie and Ann

Blackah Family Tree
Thomas Blackah's Diary of a voyage to America in the 19th Century
Can you identify this member of the Blackah family? It has been suggested to me that is is Joseph (Thomas's brother)
Return to Greenhow Family History Page

Some members of the Blackah family had other talents as well as mining and farming. 
One was an accomplished poet, writing in his native Yorkshire dialect (see below). 
They were all very musical, at least three of them were members of the Greenhow Hill Victoria Brass Band which used to play in Greenhow Chapel. When the Chapel got an organ, they could not play, which caused a great deal of trouble. The band was thought to be very good and was much sought after on festive occasions in the area.

There were 17 in the band:

Nathaniel Grainge ('Natty wey t'stick') was also in the band according to Will Longthorne
This information was from Henry Newbould via Harald Bruff

Thomas Blackah wrote many poems and prose, mainly in the Yorkshire dialect, but some also in English. He was a constant contributor to the local papers; some of his prize poems he had printed and sold for a few pence. A collection of his poems was published under the title "Songs and Poems" in 1867. He also wrote and published for some years a dialect almanac "T' Nidderdill Oliminac" under the pseudonym of Nattie Nydds. In 1937 Harold Bruff, with the help of some of his descendants published some of his works in a book called "Dialect Poems and Prose" together with a short biography

Inscription engraved in Cockhill Level in the second shale band from the entrance reads:  BLACKAH  A.32 1858 This inscription is likely to be that of Thomas Blackah (94) as his birth year from above would be 1826.