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Churchwarden
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Joseph Longfoot

cautious secretive pragmatic cunning
Joseph Longfoot, known as Holy Joe, holds the position of churchwarden in a 17th-century Cornish village overrun by smuggling and piracy. Former shipmate of Captain Avery, Pike, and Cherub on the Black Albatross, he guards their pirate treasure through clever riddles and coded markers. He balances pious village duties with criminal bonds to innkeeper Kewper and Squire Edwards. Cautious with strangers like the Doctor, Longfoot relies on pragmatic secrecy and sharp intellect to survive threats from old crewmates and militia alike.
37 appearances
Village church operations and pirate treasure guardianship
Also known as: Churchwarden, Holy Joe Longfoot, Holy Joe, Longfoot, Joe Longfoot

Joseph Longfoot's Journey

A timeline through the narrative

37 moments
S4E1 · The Smugglers Part 1
The Doctor reveals time travel truth

Wary and defensive, but with a hint of curiosity about the strangers’ true nature.

Longfoot, the churchwarden, emerges as a figure of authority and suspicion, his flintlock pistol leveled at the group as he interrogates them. His initial assumption that Polly is a boy—due …

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S4E1 · The Smugglers Part 1
Longfoot Mistakes Polly for a Boy

Highly suspicious and defensive, driven by a mix of fear and duty to protect his community from outsiders, but also exhibiting a grudging sense of responsibility toward strangers.

Longfoot emerges from the church with a flintlock pistol, immediately assuming a defensive and aggressive stance. He mistakes Polly for a boy due to her attire, which fuels his suspicion …

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S4E1 · The Smugglers Part 1
Longfoot warns of Avery’s lingering threat

A complex mix of fear, guilt, and desperation. His surface piety masks a deep terror of Pike’s hook and Avery’s ‘spirit,’ and his fleeting trust in the Doctor is quickly overshadowed by his need to control the situation and protect his own secrets.

Longfoot, the churchwarden, moves between roles of cautious host and terrified survivor, his body language tense and his voice laced with fear. He subtly interrogates the Doctor, Ben, and Polly …

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S4E1 · The Smugglers Part 1
Longfoot’s fear exposed and fragile truce formed

Paranoid and conflicted—his fear of Pike’s hook and Avery’s legacy wars with a desperate need for connection, briefly satisfied by the Doctor’s kindness but ultimately overwhelmed by his own guilt.

Longfoot dominates this scene as a study in fractured psyche, his hospitality a thin veneer over deep-seated paranoia. His interrogation of the group is laced with barely contained fear, particularly …

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S4E1 · The Smugglers Part 1
Longfoot warns of rising tide

Paranoid and fearful, but momentarily softened by the Doctor’s act of resetting his finger. His urgency stems from a deep-seated fear of Pike’s hook and Avery’s crew, driving him to insist the group leave immediately.

Longfoot’s paranoia and urgency escalate as he abruptly cuts off the Doctor’s questions about Avery and Pike. His dislocated finger, quickly reset by the Doctor, briefly softens his hostility, but …

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S4E1 · The Smugglers Part 1
Assassin enters church after Longfoot’s warning

Urgent and resigned, burdened by the knowledge of the danger lurking in the village but unable to fully convey it to the strangers.

Longfoot, having delivered his cryptic warnings and the 'Deadman’s secret key' to the Doctor, watches as the group departs along the road. His final words, 'God bless,' carry a tone …

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S4E1 · The Smugglers Part 1
Longfoot’s cryptic warning and the Deadman’s Key

Anxious and urgent, with a deep sense of foreboding that borders on resignation, as if he knows his time is running out.

Longfoot delivers a series of urgent, cryptic warnings to the Doctor, insisting on the importance of the 'Deadman’s Secret Key'—three names: Smallwood, Ringwood, Gurney. His tone is laced with urgency …

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S4E1 · The Smugglers Part 1
Strangers in a hostile inn

Suspicious and pragmatic, driven by the village’s need to protect its secrets but pragmatic enough to accommodate the Doctor’s request once Longfoot’s name is invoked.

Kewper initially refuses lodging to the group, citing distrust of strangers, but relents when the Doctor mentions Longfoot’s name. He provides dry clothes and a meal, though his hostility toward …

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S4E1 · The Smugglers Part 1
Doctor secures lodging through Longfoot’s name

Suspicious and hostile toward strangers, but compliant under the social pressure of Longfoot's name, masking his true feelings behind grudging hospitality.

Jacob Kewper, the innkeeper, initially refuses lodging to the Doctor, Polly, and Ben, citing the villagers' distrust of strangers. He relents only after the Doctor invokes the name of the …

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S4E1 · The Smugglers Part 1
Cherub murders Longfoot for Avery’s gold

A mix of defiance, fear, and resignation—knowing his past has caught up with him but refusing to yield to Cherub’s demands. His final curse is laced with venom, but there’s also a sense of tragic acceptance.

Longfoot emerges from the crypt drunkenly, initially rambling to himself, but quickly sobers as he realizes Cherub is present. He defiantly rejects his pirate past, insisting he is now a …

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S4E1 · The Smugglers Part 1
Kewper Implicates Strangers in Murder

N/A (off-screen, but his implied emotional state would likely be one of stern impartiality, driven by a sense of duty to uphold the law).

The Squire is mentioned as the local magistrate who will be summoned to investigate Longfoot’s murder and potentially arrest the strangers. Though not physically present, his impending arrival looms large …

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S4E1 · The Smugglers Part 1
Kewper escalates murder inquiry to Squire

N/A (deceased, but his presence is felt through the reaction of others).

Churchwarden Longfoot is the victim of the locked-room murder, described posthumously by Tom with chilling detail. His death—knifed in the back, found smiling, with the door forced open—serves as the …

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S4E1 · The Smugglers Part 1
Pirates abduct the Doctor at knifepoint

Aggressive and menacing initially, shifting to triumphant as he secures the Doctor.

Cherub leads the ambush, striding into the inglenook with three rough sailors. He accuses the Doctor of concealing Longfoot's message, escalating the confrontation with threats and physical violence. He orders …

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S4E1 · The Smugglers Part 1
Ben and Polly arrested for murder

Authoritative and suspicious, with a sense of righteous indignation at Ben and Polly’s refusal to cooperate. His emotional state is cold and unyielding, reflecting his belief in their guilt and his role as the enforcer of justice in the village.

The Squire dominates the scene as the embodiment of 17th-century judicial authority. He interrogates Ben and Polly with unyielding suspicion, accusing them of murder and arresting them without hesitation. His …

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S4E1 · The Smugglers Part 1
Ben defies the Squire’s authority

Suspicious and accusatory, with a sense of righteous indignation. He is convinced of Ben and Polly’s guilt and sees their defiance as further proof of their villainy. His emotional state is one of controlled anger, driven by his duty to uphold the law and protect the village from outsiders.

The Squire dominates the scene with his authoritative presence, interrogating Ben and Polly with suspicion and hostility. He interprets their evasiveness as guilt and swiftly declares them ‘knaves and rogues,’ …

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S4E1 · The Smugglers Part 1
Squire arrests Ben and Polly for murder

Righteously indignant, with a undercurrent of satisfaction at having identified and punished perceived criminals. His emotional state is one of control, but there is also a hint of paranoia—he sees threats everywhere, especially from those who refuse to conform.

The Squire dominates the scene with his authoritative presence, his demands for information framed as absolute truths. He interprets Ben’s defiance as guilt, using it as justification to publicly arrest …

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S4E2 · The Smugglers Part 2
Doctor’s Past with Pirates Exposed

Not directly shown, but inferred to be anxious and reliant on the Doctor’s ability to navigate the danger. His safety is a driving factor in the Doctor’s resistance to Pike and Cherub’s threats.

Ben is indirectly referenced as one of the Doctor’s companions whose safety is at risk due to the Doctor’s silence. Pike’s threats to raze the village imply that Ben and …

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S4E2 · The Smugglers Part 2
Pike’s Torture Threat Escalates

N/A (absent, but the Doctor's emotional state is heavily influenced by the need to protect him).

Ben is not physically present in the cabin, but his fate is explicitly tied to the Doctor's defiance. The pirates' threats imply that if the Doctor doesn't talk, Ben (and …

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S4E2 · The Smugglers Part 2
Polly’s Superstition Gambit

Suspicious yet vulnerable, masking his fear of the occult behind a thin veneer of authority.

Tom appears at the gaol cell door in response to Polly’s feigned screams, revealing his role as the gaol guard. He clutches the keys to the cell, embodying the village’s …

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S4E2 · The Smugglers Part 2
Polly exploits Tom’s superstition for escape

Initially authoritative and dismissive, but increasingly unsettled as Polly plants the seed of supernatural explanations for the Doctor’s disappearance. His emotional state shifts from rigid control to a creeping unease, making him susceptible to her plan.

Tom, the gaol guard, is initially resistant to engaging with the prisoners, adhering strictly to his orders not to speak with them. However, Polly’s feigned hysteria over the rat draws …

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S4E2 · The Smugglers Part 2
Polly exploits superstition for escape

Suspicious yet unsettled; his authority is undermined by Polly’s performance, leaving him vulnerable to psychological manipulation.

Tom, the gaol guard, is summoned by Polly’s feigned hysteria over a rat, revealing his role as the prisoners’ keeper. He clutches the keys to their cell, embodying the village’s …

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S4E2 · The Smugglers Part 2
Ben and Polly uncover hidden crypt secrets

Cautious and calculating (before capture), then startled and subdued (after capture).

The cloaked figure emerges silently from the hidden tomb, his presence unnoticed until Ben tackles him to the ground. His identity remains concealed, but his sudden appearance confirms the crypt’s …

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S4E2 · The Smugglers Part 2
Ambush in the Crypt Reveals Hidden Threat

Adrenaline-fueled alertness with underlying anxiety. Ben’s surface demeanor is calm and controlled, but his internal state is tense—he’s acutely aware of the stakes (finding the Doctor, clearing their names) and the potential dangers of their situation. His skepticism about the Squire masks a deeper fear that they might be abandoned or betrayed by local authorities.

Ben is the driving force of this event, his instincts honed by his naval background and street-smart pragmatism. He reacts with lightning speed to the cloaked figure’s emergence, tackling them …

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S4E2 · The Smugglers Part 2
Polly gambles on the Squire’s aid

Shocked and subdued (physically overpowered, emotionally unreadable)

The cloaked figure emerges from the hidden passageway in the church crypt, caught off-guard by Ben’s ambush. He is immediately overpowered and pinned to the ground, his identity and intentions …

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S4E2 · The Smugglers Part 2
Pike and Cherub manipulate the Squire

N/A (deceased, but his memory evokes grief and guilt in the Squire).

The Churchwarden is referenced posthumously as the murdered individual who once oversaw smuggling operations at the church. His death is cited by the Squire as the reason the pirates' goods …

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S4E2 · The Smugglers Part 2
Polly exposes Cherub’s deception

A volatile mix of grief, anger, and paranoia. The Squire’s emotional state is fragile, and he latches onto Polly as a convenient scapegoat for the Churchwarden’s murder. His dismissal of her warnings stems from a combination of bias, grief, and a desire to maintain control over the situation.

The Squire is initially engaged in a toast with Pike and Cherub, celebrating their false merchant deal, when Birch drags Polly into the study. The Squire’s demeanor shifts instantly from …

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S4E2 · The Smugglers Part 2
Polly’s warnings twisted against her

Defensive and dismissive, masking his grief over the Churchwarden’s death with blind trust in Pike’s lies.

The Squire is easily manipulated by Pike, dismissing Polly’s warnings and labeling her as 'wicked.' He vouches for Pike and Cherub as 'goodly merchants' and agrees to recapture Ben, demonstrating …

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S4E2 · The Smugglers Part 2
Pike manipulates Polly’s confession into a trap

Implied as a source of grief and suspicion, exploited by Pike to justify his deception. His death is treated as a tool for the pirates’ agenda rather than a tragedy in itself.

The Churchwarden is mentioned indirectly as a 'murdered individual' whose death Polly is falsely accused of being involved in. Pike uses this accusation to further implicate Polly and the Churchwarden, …

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S4E2 · The Smugglers Part 2
Polly silenced by Pike’s manipulation

Not directly observable, but inferred as concerned for Polly’s safety and frustrated by their inability to prove their innocence.

Ben is not physically present in this event but is referenced as Polly’s companion and an accomplice in the Squire’s eyes. Polly’s attempts to clear their names are tied to …

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S4E3 · The Smugglers Part 3
Kewper and Squire plot to seize Avery’s gold

Not directly observable, but inferred as a source of intrigue and opportunity. His death has left behind a trail of clues that Kewper exploits to justify their actions.

Longfoot is referenced posthumously as the deceased Churchwarden who once belonged to Avery’s crew and held knowledge of the gold’s location. His past ties to the treasure are cited as …

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S4E3 · The Smugglers Part 3
Squire and Kewper seal their betrayal

N/A (deceased, but his influence is felt).

Joseph Longfoot is not physically present, as he is deceased, but his secret knowledge of Avery’s gold is critical to the treasure hunt. The Squire and Kewper reference Longfoot’s secret …

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S4E3 · The Smugglers Part 3
Squire and Kewper ride toward betrayal

Highly motivated and focused, driven by a sense of duty to protect the village and uphold the law. His emotional state is one of urgent resolve, as he races against time to gather reinforcements and thwart the Squire and Kewper’s plans.

Josiah Blake is not physically present in this event but is implicitly referenced as the revenue man riding hard to gather reinforcements. His absence is a critical counterpoint to the …

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S4E3 · The Smugglers Part 3
Polly discovers Lucinda Maltree’s tombstone

N/A (Longfoot is deceased and not physically present, but his 'emotional legacy' in this moment is one of cunning and control—his rhyme is a test, his treasure a prize, and his silence a challenge to those who follow).

Joseph Longfoot, the deceased Churchwarden, is physically absent from this scene but looms large as the spectral architect of the puzzle. His whispered rhyme ('Smallwood, Ringwood, Gurney') and the cryptic …

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S4E3 · The Smugglers Part 3
Doctor deciphers the dead man’s clue

Anxious but resolved (surface: absent; subtext: torn between protecting the treasure and the village’s safety).

Not physically present in this event, but his cryptic rhyme ('Smallwood, Ringwood, Gurney') is the catalyst for the Doctor’s realization. The Churchwarden’s secret—tied to the tombstones and the crypt—looms over …

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S4E3 · The Smugglers Part 3
Doctor redirects treasure hunt to rhyme clues

Absent but looming; his presence is felt through the Doctor’s urgency and the group’s focus on his clues.

The Churchwarden’s cryptic rhyme is the focal point of the Doctor’s deduction, though he is not physically present in this scene. His whispered secret—'Dead man's secret key. Ringwood, Smallbeer and …

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S4E3 · The Smugglers Part 3
Tombstones Confirm the Rhyme’s Clues

Not directly observable, but inferred as cautious and protective of the village’s secrets.

The Churchwarden is mentioned indirectly through the Doctor’s recitation of his cryptic rhyme ('Ringwood, Smallbeer, and Gurney'). His secret is central to the group’s search for Avery’s gold, and his …

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S4E4 · The Smugglers Part 4
Pike Uncovers Avery’s Pearls

N/A (Referenced as a historical figure whose actions have long-term consequences, but not physically present in the scene.)

The Churchwarden is referenced indirectly by the Doctor, who mentions the Churchwarden’s riddle involving the names of Avery’s crew. Though not physically present in the crypt, his role in altering …

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Affiliations

The Church
leader

Longfoot is the churchwarden, giving him a leadership role in The Church.

Squire's Smuggling Ring (Local Coastal Network)
member
Local Smuggling and Corruption

Longfoot is described as being in criminal bonds with innkeeper Kewper and the Squire, part of the local smuggling operation, although he was murdered by Pike for not fully cooperating.

Across the Seasons

How this character reads at season scale

Season 4 · planet

Joseph Longfoot, known as Holy Joe, holds the position of churchwarden in a 17th-century Cornish village overrun by smuggling and piracy. Former shipmate of Captain Avery, Pike, and Cherub on the Black Albatross, he guards their pirate treasure through clever riddles and coded markers. He balances pious village duties with criminal bonds to innkeeper Kewper and Squire Edwards. Cautious with strangers like the Doctor, Longfoot relies on pragmatic secrecy and sharp intellect to survive threats from old crewmates and militia alike.