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Main Characters
The Reverend Doctor Christopher Syn, DD
The title character; the kindly and much-loved vicar of Dymchurch, who by night is the Scarecrow, the fearsome leader of the local smugglers. In addition to that, he used to be Captain Clegg, a notorious pirate.
- The Ace: Has no equal when it comes to horsemanship, fencing, bare-knuckle boxing and organisational skills. He is also considered to have been a brilliant theologian as a younger man.
- Anti-Hero: Although he lives by a code of honour and spends much of his time helping his parishioners, as Captain Clegg and (later) the Scarecrow he's vengeful to a sadistic degree, sometimes ruthless (especially when acting as a pirate captain in charge of a gang of unreliable cut-throats) and much given to using fear as a weapon.
- Badass Bookworm: Fought a duel while he was a scholar at Oxford University, despite being in holy orders. Then he went off and became a notorious pirate.
- Badass Preacher: Very badass, albeit secretly.
- …But He Sounds Handsome: Occasionally invoked, albeit mildly, when Doctor Syn is discussing the Scarecrow with people who have no idea that he's the Scarecrow (which is to say, most people). The following line (from The Further Adventures of Doctor Syn) is a case in point:Though I naturally deplore the notoriety which the Scarecrow has given to my parish, I confess that I admire his ingenuity and daring ... A saucy rascal, no doubt, but we must own, a brave one.
- Cultured Badass: Oxford scholar, duellist, pirate, master swordsman, parish priest, smuggler-in-chief.
- Gentleman Adventurer: Played straight, which dates the series a little.
- I Have Many Names: Also known as Captain Clegg (the pirate) and the Scarecrow (the smuggler leader). When in France, he's known as L'Epouvantail, that being the French for "scarecrow".
- Ironic Name: He's a Church of England priest with a criminal Secret Identity whose surname is "Syn".
- Last of His Kind: The Syns were an old Romney Marsh family, but other than an elderly uncle who is rarely mentioned, it would seem that Doctor Syn is the last of them; the fate of his son by Imogene is left unresolved.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: Part of his kindly vicar persona is this; he uses glasses and a clerical wig to make himself look older than he is, and rides a somewhat placid donkey so as not to draw attention to his horsemanship. The extent to which he does this, though, varies from novel to novel, and it doesn't stop some people from (eventually) putting two and two together and linking him with the Scarecrow.
- Renaissance Man: He's very good at everything he does, from theology to fencing, horsemanship and criminal gang leadership.
- Secret Identity: He has two, and serves as a classic example from the days when this trope was first becoming established in popular fiction.
- Tattooed Crook: Downplayed; during his pirate days he got one on his forearm, depicting a shark underneath a man walking the plank.
- Venturous Smuggler: As the Scarecrow, he runs the smuggling operation on Romney Marsh, and is both respected and feared by the locals for this.
- The Vicar: Subverted. While he is a vicar, he's also (secretly) a ruthless criminal.
Septimus Mipps
A former Royal Navy carpenter and pirate who has been loyal to Doctor Syn ever since the latter saved him from being captured by the Revenue Men. After turning up at Dymchurch shortly after Doctor Syn's return, he becomes the local undertaker, sexton and parish clerk in addition to (later) running a small general store. He soon gets involved in smuggling, which in turn leads to Doctor Syn's involvement, following which Mipps serves as his ever-loyal second-in-command.
- Kavorka Man: Downplayed. While he is an unattractive man (described at one point as "rat-like and grotesque") who somehow gets plenty of attention from the ladies, he's not interested.
- Last-Name Basis: He's only ever referred to and addressed by his surname; his first name is rarely mentioned.
- Psycho Sidekick: He has twice committed acts of mass murder by blowing up whole ships full of people who know too much about himself and Doctor Syn, making him even more ruthless than his master.
- Refuge in Audacity: He's quite fond of this, especially when ingratiating himself with the authorities by pretending to be an informant.
- Sailor's Ponytail: Always wears his hair in a tarred ponytail.
- Secret-Keeper: Mipps is one of very few people who knows that Doctor Syn, the Scarecrow and Captain Clegg are the same person.
- Sidekick: A particularly devoted one.
Jimmie "Gentleman James" Bone
A highwayman and ally of Doctor Syn.
- Everyone Has Standards: He never robs from clergymen — even rich ones like the Archbishop of Canterbury. He also gives one-tenth of his ill-gotten gains to the church's Poor Fund, and sometimes declines to take small items that may be of sentimental value.
- The Highwayman: A notorious one who preys on travellers in Kent, usually (but not always) along the Dover Road.
- Identity Impersonator: Wears the Scarecrow costume if both the Scarecrow and Syn have to be seen together.
- Not Me This Time: Comes under suspicion of being the Scarecrow ... which leads Doctor Syn to arrange for Jimmie to be robbed by the Scarecrow after carrying out a robbery. Later on, this gets subverted somewhat, as Jimmie is called on to don the Scarecrow costume as part of a decoy ploy.
- Secret-Keeper: He knows that Doctor Syn and the Scarecrow are the same person.
Sir Anthony Cobtree
The local squire, and an old friend of Doctor Syn.
- Berserk Button: Anyone who tries to impinge on his authority as the local magistrate will likely incur his displeasure.
- Overshadowed by Awesome: It's hinted at that he was this to Doctor Syn at Oxford, but he doesn't seem to have had a problem with this; Christopher Syn has long been a much-loved friend of the family.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: He has his moments, particularly when it comes to his children.
- Shipper on Deck: Despite the age gap, once he figures out that his daughter Charlotte has feelings for Doctor Syn, he becomes this for them.
Allies
Charlotte Cobtree
Sir Anthony's daughter, who falls in love with Doctor Syn in Doctor Syn Returns.
- Action Girl: Dresses as the Scarecrow in order to take part in the smuggling at night. It doesn't end well for her.
- Age-Gap Romance: He's her godfather, although no-one seems to mind. In fact, her father seems to approve of the relationship.
- Hot for Preacher: She's in love with the vicar.
Adversaries
Nicholas "Black Nick" Tappitt
Originally a friend of Doctor Syn's who becomes his sworn enemy when he elopes with his wife, Imogene. Features in Doctor Syn on the High Seas and Doctor Syn Returns.
- Adapted Out: He does not appear any of the film/TV adaptations, thanks largely to them being based on novels he's not in.
- Always Someone Better: When he becomes a pirate, it doesn't take long for him to realise that Captain Clegg is a much better pirate than he is.
- Becoming the Mask: After agreeing to confess to having been the notorious pirate Captain Clegg, Black Nick — who is due to be hanged for murder anyway — seems to take a perverse delight in telling anyone who will listen of 'his' crimes, much to Mipps's disgust. When mention is made in later novels of "Clegg" having been hanged in Rye, this is in fact referring to the hanging of Black Nick.
- Defiant to the End: Goes to the gallows unrepentant and cursing.
- Everyone Has Standards: For all of his many faults, Black Nick genuinely loves his baby daughter Imogene. After his arrest, Doctor Syn is able to use this to his advantage, persuading Nick to confess to having been Captain Clegg in return for a promise to have the girl properly looked after. Nick, who is going to be hanged for murder anyway, agrees.
- Face–Heel Turn: At the start of Doctor Syn on the High Seas, he's a friend of Doctor Syn and Tony Cobtree. He even helps them to outwit Squire Tappitt (his uncle, whom he dislikes) and helps to cover up the latter's death and make it look like he died in a duel. Then he elopes with Imogene and becomes the main antagonist of the story.
- Loveable Rogue: Comes across as this before slipping into the antagonist role.
- Tattooed Crook: He gets a lot of these during his time as a pirate.
Captain Howard Collyer
The Royal Navy officer who comes to Dymchurch to apprehend the Scarecrow in the original novel.
- Adaptation Name Change: A minor detail — it's spelt "Collyer" in the novel and in the credits of the 1937 movie, but "Collier" in the credits of Captain Clegg. Funnily enough, he's probably based on an actual historical person by the name of John Collier, an eighteenth-century Riding Officer who features heavily in the historical accounts of smuggling that Russell Thorndike used as source material for the books.
- Hero Antagonist: He's a brave Navy officer tasked with defeating the smugglers. Away from Dymchurch, he's said to have sunk the Lion d'Or in the mouth of the St Lawrence note and is later killed in action fighting the French.
- Inspector Javert: He's noticeably more ruthless in his pursuit of the Scarecrow than the various dragoon officers, and comes across as being contemptuous of their efforts.
- Ironic Nickname: "Collywobbles", according to Mipps and some of his own men.
- Wooden Ships and Iron Men: Very much of this historical era of Navy officers.
