Stephen Mogridge

Stephen Mogridge wrote a series of pony adventure stories based in the New Forest. The books feature the same cast of characters: Patricia, Bill, Ti, Freddy, Fiona and Julia. Patricia is the most manic pony owner, of the set, being the devoted owner of Star, a foal she adopts in the first book.

Stephen Mogridge also wrote under the pseudonym Jill Stevens, under which name he wrote a story for younger children about a donkey.

Many thanks to Susan Bourgeau for all her help with this section.

Finding the books: Adventure, Discoveries, Exploits, and Mystery are all relatively easy to find, and usually reasonably priced. Pirates and Smugglers are a little more expensive. Spies, Vagabonds, Quest, Detectives and Treasure are all very much harder to find, and can be very expensive indeed.

Links and sources:
Jim Mackenzie’s article on Stephen Mogridge
A blog article on Stephen Mogridge (which is a repeat of the article above, but with some additional pictures)

New Forest Adventure

Thomas Nelson & Sons, London, 1953, 213 pp. Illus Winslade

Thomas Nelson and Sons, Junior Nelson, 1960, 213 pp.

Nelson & Sons, pb, 1961

“Patricia and Bill are spending their holidays in the New Forest, that land of wild ponies. Patricia “adopts” a foal,
which she names Star. It soon becomes apparent, however, that others have their eyes on star, too -- unpleasant
eyes; cold, calculating eyes; eyes which judge horseflesh simply on its potential value as meat… So, aided by
two new friends, Fiona and Freddy, they determine not only to save Star but to put an end to the whole nasty
business altogether -- and in doing so (thanks largely to the inventive Freddy’s wonderful radio contrivance) find
that they have stopped something that was far, far bigger than they knew.”

The New Forest Series

New Forest Adventure

New Forest Mystery

New Forest Quest

New Forest Exploits

New Forest Discoveries

New Forest Smugglers

New Forest Pirates

New Forest Vagabond

New Forest Detectives

New Forest Treasure

New Forest Spies

New Forest Mystery

Thomas Nelson & Sons, London, 1954, 230 pp. Illus Winslade

Thomas Nelson & Sons, London, 1958

Patricia and Bill, Fiona and Frec -- the four friends are together again, and soon find themselves involved in another
more than satisfying mystery. It all begins with a Breton onion-seller and an underground passage beneath a
charcoal-burner’s mound in the forest. The scene switches to the waterside, to one of those same strings of
onions, fallen now into the river, and to the quite frenzied attempts to recover it -- absurdly frenzied for a mere
string of onions! But the inventive Frec has all the apparatus for underwater salvage, so….”

New Forest Quest

Thomas Nelson & Sons, London, 1955, 214 pp. Illus Winslade

“The quest began with a little old book picked up at a sale; and “picked up” is true, since it disappeared into the
pocket of a most undesirable person. Thenceforward the quest was partly for the book itself, partly for what the
book might lead to, and partly for very big things indeed….”

New Forest Exploits

Thomas Nelson & Sons, London, 1956, 214 pp. Illus Robert Hodgson

Thomas Nelson & Sons, London, 1960

“Vicky believed that she was a great painter. Well, wouldn’t you, if you lived in the country and a London
dealer called especially to buy your paintings? But…”

New Forest Discoveries

Thomas Nelson & Sons, London, 1957, 212 pp. Illus Robert Hodgson

Thomas Nelson & Sons, London, Nelson Juniors, 1959

Thomas Nelson & Sons, London, Nelson Juniors, 1961

A brief review of New Forest Discoveries

“Elaine is a horrid child; her elaborate politeness to the grown-up world and her general beastliness to other
children earn the hearty dislike of Pat and Bill, Freddy and Fiona -- especially when she frightens their ponies.

The Deverills and the Guises, with their friends Julia and Ann, need no introduction of course. The affair of
Mustard -- an ancient car owned by the dashing Smith brothers with whom Elaine is so friendly -- is told in this,
their latest New Forest adventure.”

New Forest Smugglers

Thomas Nelson & Sons, London, 1958, 215 pp. Illus Robert Hodgson

Thomas Nelson & Sons, London, 1963

“A stray budgerigar brings Bill and his friends to Major Briant’s house, where they meet the Sutton family;
and even Patricia, who is so friendly with Kitty Sutton, has to admit that Kitty’s parents’ behaviour is distinctly
odd. The Deverills and the Guises, to say nothing of Ann and Julia, are used to Bill’s detective instincts but
this time he really seems to be on to something….”

New Forest Pirates

Thomas Nelson & Sons, London, 1959, 216 pp. Illus Robert Hodgson

Thomas Nelson & Sons, London, 1960

Thomas Nelson & Sons, London, 1962

“Pirates! Yes, real pirates, even though they do operate on land rather than at sea -- and when their activities
bring them into the New Forest, here is naturally a mystery which Bill Deverill, that enthusiastic would-be amateur
detective, considers worthy his attention. And when those activities come still nearer home, and involve Patricia’s
adored pony, Star -- why, then all the Deverills and all their friends unite to wage ruthless warfare.”

New Forest Detectives

Thomas Nelson & Sons, London, 1962, 151 pp. Illus Robert Hodgson

“Though it is true that detection, as always, is at the back of Bill’s mind as he sets out one morning to try to get
a photograph of a green woodpecker, he doesn’t really expect to find himself at once on the trail of a suspect: but
what coulc be more suspicious than a man who has a beard one moment and is clean-shaven the next?

The indomitable Julia (and her boat), Freddy, whose latest invention proves to be invaluable, and even The Mug,
supercilious though he might be at first, are all drawn into the case. The results of their investigations may not be
quite what Bill expected, but nevertheless Inspector Foster has reason to be grateful for their enterprise.”

Jane’s Lonely Donkey
Thomas Nelson & Sons Ltd, London, 1958, illus Dick Hart

Reprinted 1959

Whenever Paula and Jane exercise Paula’s new pony, Sunspot, Percy the donkey has to go too. Paula has
promised not to separate the two, but she soon begins to wonder if she really has to keep her promise.