# Reverend George Burroughs — The Place Called Dagon character guide

> Reverend George Burroughs in The Place Called Dagon by Herbert Gorman.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Burroughs, George Burroughs, Mr. Burroughs, Mr. George Burroughs

**First appearance:** 0001-the-place-called-dagon

## Snapshot

A gaunt, sallow preacher with an unsettling equine stillness, he shares Dreeme's boardinghouse table yet remains a stranger after two years.

## Who they are

Burroughs haunts the margins of the Slater household as a man of God whose hollow eyes and withered frame resist Dreeme's clinical curiosity. His silence and his habit of fixing people with horribly still stares mark him as something other than a simple boarder, though no one can say what. When Dreeme finally pins him down like a specimen, the preacher eludes the look, and the evasion lingers longer than any answer could.

## In the story

### [The Place Called Dagon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_place_called_dagon_se/chapters/the-place-called-dagon)

Present at Dagon, likely as a leader of the cult.

### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_place_called_dagon_se/chapters/iii)

Present at the table, he hums 'Rock of Ages' and interjects with religious platitudes. His droning whine irritates Dreeme.

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_place_called_dagon_se/chapters/i)

Observed leaving the Slater property; involved in arranging Deborah's placement.

### [Chapter II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_place_called_dagon_se/chapters/ii)

Appears as a shadowy figure at the mill doorway, humming 'Rock of Ages,' and is identified by Dreeme.

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_place_called_dagon_se/chapters/i)

Escorts Deborah to the farm, his silent and unsettling demeanor contributing to her initial fear.

### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_place_called_dagon_se/chapters/ii)

Stares at Dreeme, speaks in sententious phrases, and seems to be probing Dreeme's intentions.

### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_place_called_dagon_se/chapters/viii)

Mentioned as a significant and unsettling influence on the Westcott family, particularly on Martha and Deborah.

### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_place_called_dagon_se/chapters/ii)

Mentioned in Lathrop's historical account as a possible 'Black Man' who ruled the New England coven.

### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_place_called_dagon_se/chapters/iii)

Enters the back piazza, intones about the Lord, and lends his knife to Slater for whittling.

### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_place_called_dagon_se/chapters/iv)

Also reported missing, having disappeared with Deborah.

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_place_called_dagon_se/chapters/i)

Mentioned as having enticed or kidnapped Deborah from the Slater house.

### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_place_called_dagon_se/chapters/ii)

Imagined by Dreeme as a malicious figure bending Biblical phrases for devilish purposes.

### [X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_place_called_dagon_se/chapters/x)

Appears at the gathering, exuding malevolence and serving as the high priest.

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_place_called_dagon_se/chapters/i)

Recalled as having been shot and fallen, his death seen as crushing the head of the serpent.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_place_called_dagon_se/characters/george_burroughs
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_place_called_dagon_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_place_called_dagon_se/characters