Joe is the village blacksmith, strong but gentle, kind and forgiving. Though Pip is his wife's (Mrs Joe) younger brother ... he confesses to stealing the Gargery's meat pie.

Joe Gargery - from Great Expectations ... not to mention an oasis of stoic forbearance when it comes to the volcanic temper of Mrs Joe. Few scenes in literature are more touchingly awkward ...

On this day in 1860, readers first encountered some of the most unforgettable characters in fiction: Pip, Magwitch, Mrs Joe Gargery, Pumblechook, Estella, Orlick, Jaggers, Biddy and, of course ...