Nancy Sawbridge
Mercury & Herald 15 July 1971

CASTLETHORPE

PROFILE OF A

VILLAGE

By L. W. Dickens

Post Office couple lead busy life
Mr. and Mrs. B. E. Sawbridge, of the Post Office, are busy people in Castlethorpe affairs. For a start, Castlethorpe Post Office, of which Mrs. Sawbridge has had charge for 15 years is an “old fashioned” Post Office – people go there for help, comfort and advice.
Oldest native is 93-year-old Mrs. Elizabeth Gobbey, who had been village postmistress for 35 years when she retired at the age of 78.The village Post Office had then been in her family for 114 years and Mrs. Nancy Sawbridge who took over in October, 1956 was a relative by marriage, her husband Mr. Benjamin Sawbridge being Mr. Joe Gobbey’s nephew.
Five years after Mrs. Nancy Sawbridge became postmistress her husband who is an agricultural builder and undertaker , built an extension adjoining their home in New Road to accommodate both the Post Office and general stores.

Mr. Ben Sawbridge has been vicar’s warden for 10 years; his wife was church secretary for nine years and has been church treasurer for the past two.

Church choir

Mr. Sawbridge has sung in the church choir since boy-hood and his 18 year-old-son Charles who is now taking a course in agricultural engineering at Ryecotewood College, Thame, is also in the choir.

Mrs. Sawbridge is clerk to one of Castlethorpe’s two charities, the Charity of the Poor of Castlethorpe, which gives half of its net income to the Church and distributes the other half to Castlethorpe residents.

Mrs. Sawbridge is also secretary of the Evergreen Club
Reminders of past

Village mourns Nancy’s death

A village will pay its respects to a long trusted friend tomorrow (29th October 1986) when Castlethorpe attends the funeral of Nancy Sawbridge.
For last Thursday Nancy suddenly died at her home, leaving husband Ben and a whole village in mourning.
Nancy, aged 60, who lived in Castlethorpe for more than 30 years, ran the village post-office and general store.
Her death came just as she was to move into her retirement cottage built by Ben.
Close friend Glenys King said: “We haven’t just lost one person, we have lost 20.”Nancy was well-known for her church work. Her funeral is in the church she loved, St. Simon and St. Jude in the village.