George & Dorcas Juggins

An couple who, though they did not live in the village, were a familiar sight in Oakridge travelling by donkey or pushing a pram to transport their purchases, and using the village shop and the pub as their local, George and Dorcas Juggins

George and Dorcas lived in Ashmeads Cottage, situated in the valley bottom between Bakers Mill and Chalford. It was bought in 1901 for £70 by Dorcas' parents who lived there and ran the horse-drawn bus service between Chalford and Stroud.

George was known as a great entertainer and story-teller. Daphne Neville, in Gloucestershire and Avon Life, April 1975, wrote about the Jugginses and the world of 'country Victoriana' in which they lived right up to 1975: 'Great believers, both George and Dorcas were regular and generous communicants. Once when George accidentally placed his betting slip instead of a £1 note into the collecting plate at Oakridge Church, he rushed up to the altar to retrieve it "afore it could be offered up distrespectful-like to the Lord."'

George spent all his working life at St Mary's Stick Mill, beginning as a stacker and receiving 18s a week pay. On 19 March 1965 the Stroud News & Journal reported that he retired at 65 at the end of his fiftieth year with the firm and the next Monday he went up early to Oakridge post office to collect the first instalment of his pension. Asked what he liked doing best, he replied 'going out dancing and being gay'. George died in December 1974 and Dorcas in 1975.

The above is an extract from 'Oakridge a History' by Pat Carrick, Kay Rhodes and Juliet Shipman, available from Oakridge History Group, price £15 through the ‘Contact Us’ page or from the Oakridge Village Shop.