This is a list of original characters found in the Greyfriars School stories by Charles Hamilton, writing as Frank Richards.
Greyfriars Academic Staff
Capper, Algernon Jasper – Fourth form Master. A more easy-going master than Mr. Quelch or Mr. Hacker. Appears in 297 stories; first appearance in Magnet No. 25 The Triumph Of The Remove (August 1, 1908). Charpentier, Monsieur Henri – French Master, known as "Mossoo". Originally from the French Loire region. Easy going and the subject of much leg-pulling by the Greyfriars juniors. Appears in 255 stories; first appearance in Magnet No. 57 The Ventriloquist's Pupils (March 13, 1909). Gans, Herr Otto – German Master. Originally from Saxony and emphasises that he is not a Prussian during the years of the Great War. Hacker, Horace Manfred – Upper Fourth (Shell) form Master. Unpopular, and a petty tyrant, known as 'The Acid Drop.' Appears in 176 stories; first appearance in Magnet No. 171 The Greyfriars Tyrant (May 20, 1911). Lascelles, Lawrence – Mathematics and Games Master. One of the most popular masters in the school; nicknamed "Larry" by the juniors. Appears in 149 stories; first appearance in Magnet No. 324 Harry Wharton's Diplomacy (April 25, 1914) where he is introduced as a young boxer named Larry the Lynx. Locke, The Rev Herbert Henry – The Headmaster, also the Sixth Form Master – majestic, kindly, scholarly, unworldly, and just. Appears in 970 stories; first appearance in Magnet No. 1 The Making Of Harry Wharton (February 15, 1908). Prout, Paul Pontifex – Fifth form Master. Known as "Old Pompous." Portly, inclined to long-winded reminiscences, but essentially good-hearted. Appears in 626 stories; first appearance in Magnet No. 38 The Cheerful Chinee (October 31, 1908). Quelch, Henry Samuel – Lower Fourth (Remove) form Master. Firm but fair, and described as "a Beast, but a just Beast." He stands no nonsense and does not spare the rod. A classical scholar who has spent many years working on "History of Greyfriars." Appears in 1,383 stories; first appearance in Magnet No. 1 The Making Of Harry Wharton (February 15, 1908). Twigg, Bernard Morrison - Second form Master. Appears in 108 stories; first appearance in Magnet No. 318 The Missing Chinee (March 14, 1914). Twigg, Eusebius – Third form Master and brother of Bernard Twigg, the Second form Master. Appears in 19 stories; first appearance in Magnet No. 201 The Duffer's Return (December 16, 1911). Final appearance in Magnet No. 927 The Whip Hand! (November 14, 1925) and afterwards replaced as Third Form master by Herbert Wiggins. Wiggins, Herbert – Third form Master. His chief hobby is photography. Appears in 89 stories; first appearance in Magnet No. 1010 Taking Up Trotter! (June 25, 1927). Woose, Mr. - first introduced as Quelch's replacement as Remove Master during the "Secret Seven" series of 1934; later he was Art Master and Librarian. Appears in 19 stories; first appearance in Magnet No. 1392 The Greyfriars Storm Troops! (October 20, 1934).
Other Greyfriars staff Gosling, William – School porter. Detests all schoolboys, fond of gin and long past retirement age. Appears in 748 stories and first introduced in Magnet No. 11 Billy's Boom (April 25, 1908). Kebble, Mrs – Greyfriars Housekeeper and Head Cook. Appears in 142 stories and first introduced in Magnet No. 38 The Cheerful Chinee (October 31, 1908). Mimble, Alfred – Husband of Mrs Mimble and the school gardener. Appears in 58 stories and first introduced in Magnet No. 18 Roughing It! (June 13, 1908). Mimble, Mrs Jessie – Runs the school tuckshop. Appears in 565 stories and first introduced in Magnet No. 2 The Taming of Harry (February 22, 1908). Trotter, Frederick - School page. Appears in 456 stories and first introduced in Magnet No. 119 The Bounder of Greyfriars (May 21, 1910).
Greyfriars School Sixth Form
Carberry, George Joseph – A bullying prefect, disliked by most other members of the school. Appears in 57 stories and first introduced in Magnet No. 118 The Remove’s Challenge (May 14, 1910). His final appearance was in Magnet 107 The Cad Of The Sixth (February 26, 1910 ), when he was expelled from the school. Carne, Arthur Woodhead – a Sixth form prefect. Along with Gerald Loder and James Walker, one of the bad set among the seniors. Appears in 303 stories and first introduced in Magnet No. 96 The Greyfriars Skaters (December 11, 1909) Coker, Reginald (Minor) – Younger brother of Horace Coker of the Fifth form. Unlike his brother, he is weakly but a good scholar. Often picked upon by bullies but stoutly championed by his brother. Lives with his family in his Aunt Judy's house – Coker Place – in Surrey. Appears in 16 stories and first introduced in Magnet No. 241 – Coker Minor – Sixth Former! (September 21, 1912). Courtney, Arthur Evans – a popular senior, straight and generous, and a fine sportsman. Appears in 150 stories and first introduced in Magnet No. 108 Wingate’s Secret (March 5, 1910). His final appearance was in Magnet No. 520 A Very Gallant Gentleman! (January 26, 1918), when he lost his life rescuing Rupert Valence after the Cross Keys Inn was struck by a German incendiary bomb. Valence left the school soon afterwards. This story, authored by substitute writer John Nix Pentelow, attracted sharp criticism from reviewers, who noted the Sixth form characterisation gap caused by the loss of two well-drawn characters that would never be replaced.A History of the Gem and Magnet, Eric Fayne & Roger Jenkins In fairness to Pentelow, it later emerged that he wrote this story on instruction from higher authority, as there was evidence that some readers were confusing Courtney with Highcliffe Junior Captain Frank Courtenay, and it was decided one of them had to go.The Magnet Companion ’77, edited by George Beal, P.126 Faulkner, Lawrence – A prefect and a friend of Wingate. He is a close friend of Tremaine – both are from the West Country. Appears in 28 stories and first introduced in Magnet No. 520 A Very Gallant Gentleman! (January 26, 1918). Gwynne, Patrick – A prefect and Wingate's closest friend. Gwynne is a sunny-tempered Irishman and is widely liked in the school. Appears in 327 stories and first introduced in Magnet No. 463 Foul Play! (December 23, 1916). Hammersley, Vincent – A tall strapping prefect and an all-round sportsman. Appears in 11 stories and first introduced in Magnet No. 520 A Very Gallant Gentleman! (January 26, 1918). Ionides, Heracles – Sixth form senior. Son of a wealthy Greek merchant. A dandy and a bully who was appointed a prefect and then deposed by the Headmaster, all within a few days of his arrival. He later becomes close to Loder and his friends. Appears in 53 stories and first introduced in Magnet No. 49 The New Sixth Former (January 16, 1909). Later fades from the stories without explanation. Loder, Gerald Assheton – a Sixth form senior and Prefect. Loder is a malicious bully who hates Wharton & Co and who gives free rein to his malice when undertaking his duties as a Prefect. Appears in 686 stories and is first introduced in Magnet No. 66 Stoney Broke (May 15, 1909), not yet a prefect. Loder became a Prefect in Magnet No. 107 The Cad of the Sixth (February 26, 1910), following Carberry's expulsion. North, Tom – an easy-going prefect who is widely liked for his good nature. Plays in goal for the senior soccer team. Appears in 100 stories and first introduced in Magnet No. 52 The Hero Of Greyfriars (February 6, 1909). Sykes - A popular Sixth form Prefect. A regular member of the senior soccer and cricket teams and a good friend of Wingate. Appears in 79 stories and first introduced in Magnet No. 1154 The Fool Of The Fifth! (March 29, 1930) Tremaine, Charles - Sixth form schoolboy and Prefect. A close friend of Faulkner. Appears in 2 stories and first introduced in Magnet No. 656 In Borrowed Plumes! (September 4, 1920). Valence, Rupert Wingfield - Sixth from schoolboy and a thoroughly bad character. Appears in 52 stories and first introduced in Magnet No. 186 The Only Way! (September 2, 1911). His final appearance was in Magnet No. 520 A Very Gallant Gentleman! (January 26, 1918), when fellow Sixth former Arthur Courtney lost his life rescuing Valence from the bombed wreckage of the Cross Keys Inn. As Valence had broken into the inn with criminal intent, he left the school before his inevitable expulsion. Walker, James – a prefect who associates with Loder and Carne. Has been known to display a better side to his nature when not under the influence of the other two. Appears in 339 stories and first introduced in Magnet No. 112 The ‘First’ At Greyfriars (April 2, 1910) Wingate, George Bernard – Captain of Greyfriars School; Head Prefect; Head of Games. A well-liked sporting hero, and the embodiment of decency. Maintains discipline, but is the most popular fellow in the school. Has a younger brother, Jack Wingate, in the Third form. Lives in Chester. Appears in 1,112 stories and first introduced in Magnet No. 1 The Making Of Harry Wharton (February 15, 1908)
Greyfriars School Fifth Form
Bland, Bertram – schoolboy in the Fifth form who shares Study No 1 with Blundell, his closest friend since their time in the Third form. A good sportsman. Appears in 116 stories and first introduced in Magnet No. 43 The Greyfriars Victory (December 5, 1908). Blundell, George (Study No 1) – Captain and Head Boy of the Fifth form. An energetic fellow with sound principles. A fine sportsman who is usually picked for the senior soccer and cricket teams. Appears in 295 stories and first introduced in Magnet No. 35 Harry Wharton's Scheme. (October 10, 1908). Coker, Horace James (Study No 4)– big, strong and overbearing; and one of the major characters of the stories. Convinced of his intellectual superiority and sporting prowess, an opinion that is strangely shared by nobody except his adoring Aunt Judy, who keeps him well supplied with cash and food hampers. Coker was originally one of the oldest students in the Shell, having not been promoted to the Fifth Form because of his intellectual limitations, but Aunt Judy browbeat the Head into promoting him anyway. Appears in 882 stories and first introduced in Magnet No. 143 The Head of Study 14 (5 Nov, 1910). Fitzgerald, Terence – a good humoured Irishman, who shares Study No. 2 with Smith Major. Appears in 134 stories and first introduced in Magnet No. 223 Frank Nugent's Great Wheeze! (May 18, 1912). Greene, William Frederick – Fifth form schoolboy and, along with his friend George Potter, sidekick of Coker, with whom they share Study No. 4. Potter and Green tolerate Coker's buffoonery in exchange for Coker's lavish hospitality. As we are sometimes reminded by the author: Coker stood the tea, so Potter and Greene stood Coker. Appears in 524 stories and first introduced in Magnet No. 199 The Downfall Of The Fifth (December 2, 1911). Hilton, Cedric – a wealthy and elegant member of the Fifth. Lives with his family at Hilton Hall in Devon. Shares Study No. 6 with Price, a shady character who often leads him into bad habits. Appears in 144 stories and first introduced in Magnet No. 529 The Fighting Fifth! (March 30, 1918). Potter, George (Study No 4)– sidekick of Coker, A useful member of the senior soccer and cricket teams. Often to be found refereeing junior soccer games. Appears in 579 stories and first introduced in Magnet No. 145 Coker's Catch (November 19, 1910). Price, Stephen – A weak character who dislikes sports and associates with the racing fraternity at the local inns. Appears in 123 stories and first introduced in Magnet No. 529 The Fighting Fifth! (March 30, 1918). Smith (Major), Edward William - Appears in 35 stories and first introduced in Magnet No. 54 Billy Bunter's House Warming (February 20, 1909). Tomlinson (Major), Thomas Trotter - Fifth form schoolboy. Appears in 38 stories and first introduced in Magnet No. 374 The Fall Of The Fifth! (April 10, 1915).