Joe is the village blacksmith, strong but gentle, kind and forgiving. Though Pip is his wife's (Mrs Joe) younger brother, he treats Pip like a son. He guides him through his childhood years ...

Joe Gargery - from Great Expectations, is one of Charles Dickens's most honest, good-natured 'heroes' and is the thirteenth in the Telegraph pick of the best Charles Dickens characters.

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 ...