History Literature / DoctorSynTheScarecrow

* SmallRoleBigImpact: Grinsley[[note]]His name is likely a reference to George Ransley, a historical Romney Marsh smuggler[[/note]], the murderer who originally adopted the Scarecrow costume, is quickly caught and hanged, but not before inspiring a legend.

Doctor Syn -- or, to use his full title, the Reverend Doctor Christopher Syn, DD [[note]] Doctor of Divinity [[/note]] -- is the protagonist of a series of historical novels by British writer and actor Russell Thorndike, published between 1915 and 1944 but set in the 18th century (from 1754 to c. 1794). Some of the stories have been adapted to other media.

* {{Swashbuckler}}: The stories have an historical setting and a hero who gets into a lot of sword fights (and always wins). The morality is a little more grey than in [[BlackAndWhiteMorality some]] swashbuckling stories, but mostly that's just because Syn is ChaoticGood (admittedly shading towards AntiHero status by modern standards).

* TheLestrade: Captain/Major Faunce. Both of them [[note]] to explain: the dragoon officer of this name in ''The Shadow of Doctor Syn'' is the brother of the one who had previously fulfilled the same role in the earlier books[[/note]].

* TheLestrade: Captain/Major Faunce. [[RecycledScript Both of them]] [[note]] to explain: the officer of this name in ''The Shadow of Doctor Syn'' is the brother of the one who had previously fulfilled the same role in the earlier books[[/note]].

* ArtisticLicenceReligion: A minor one — the Church of England has never had a position called "Dean of the Peculiars". It's an honorific title of Thorndike's invention which allows Doctor Syn, who has the title bestowed upon him in addition to being the Vicar of Dymchurch, to visit places outside his parish, including those located in a different diocese like Rye, for official reasons.

* WorthyOpponent: Captain Faunce seems to regard the Scarecrow as this.

* TheLestrade: Captain/Major Faunce. Both of them.

* BecomingTheMask: 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.

** For all of his many faults, Black Nick Tappitt genuinely loves his baby daughter. After his arrest, Doctor Syn is able to use this to his advantage, persuading Nick to confess to having been Captain Clegg on return for a promise to have the girl properly looked after. Nick, who is going to be hanged for murder anyway, agrees.

* AwesomeMcCoolname: Doctor Syn is his ''mild-mannered nice guy'' persona.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The first book published is the last book in internal chronological order. In various respects, it doesn't quite match the rest of the series; Syn is [[CharacterizationMarchesOn considerably more brutal and less mentally stable]], some characters' ages don't match the ones given in later books, and it's the only book in which Syn's hidden identity is concealed from the reader.