The Fat Clergyman

*“Excuse me, are you a Vandal? Driver told me Vandals break in and smash things.”*
―Duke[src]
**The Fat Clergyman** is a railway enthusiast and a close friend of The Thin Clergyman, the author of The Railway Series. He is a fictionalised version of Teddy Boston.

## Biography

### *The Railway Series*

The Fat Clergyman and his friend, the Thin Clergyman, once went to the Arlesdale Railway to take photographs of the engines for the upcoming book, *Small Railway Engines*. Bert liked the clergymen at first, but became uncomfortable when they continued squinting into their cameras without saying hello to him. The clergymen hopped back into their car and raced through a puddle, splashing Bert in the face with muddy water. Although the clergymen had meant no harm, Bert was still cross with them and managed to pay the Fat Clergyman out by splashing him with water from the overhead trees, though he got in trouble for this. The clergymen went to apologise to Bert and cleaned him up, telling him that they would feature him and the other small engines in a book[1].

In 1969, the Fat Clergyman had heard the story of Duke from the Thin Clergyman, and he, the Thin Clergyman and the Small Controller made plans to recover Duke and send him to the Skarloey Railway to be restored. Every morning they went on Bert's train and searched through the hills of Arlesdale, but they did not find anything. Their search finally ended when the Fat Clergyman accidentally fell through the roof of the buried engine shed and landing on his saddletank, who had been sleeping the whole time[2].

In 1984, Duke later mentioned to the Skarloey Railway engines that the Fat Clergyman and Thin Clergyman found him and dedicated a book to him about his adventures[3].

### *Thomas & Friends*

The Fat Clergyman and his friend, the Thin Clergyman, reprised their roles from the Railway Series as they went to the Island of Sodor to take photographs of the engines as they went about doing their work. When they went to the Arlesdale Railway, they met Bert, who offered them a ride in his tender. Although Bert liked the visitors, he became uncomfortable when they continued squinting into their cameras without saying hello, and finally became cross with them when they unintentionally ran through a puddle and splashed him in muddy water. Bert managed to get back at the Fat Clergyman, though he got in trouble for it. Afterwards, the clergymen came to the shed to apologise to Bert, and they cleaned him down and told him that he would be featured in an upcoming book[4].

## Persona

The Fat Clergyman is a happy and optimistic man who is good friends with his thin counterpart and enjoy capturing the railways of Sodor on film.

## Attire

The Fat Clergyman wears glasses with a white sweater, a black shirt, a black suit and grey shoes.

## Appearances

* Railway Series
* Television Series

### *The Railway Series*

* **Small Railway Engines** - Tit for Tat
* **Duke the Lost Engine** - Sleeping Beauty
* **Great Little Engines** - Sir Handel Comes Home (*mentioned*)

### *Thomas & Friends*

* **Series 20** - Tit for Tat
* **Series 21** - Confused Coaches
* **Series 22** - Confusion Without Delay

#### Specials

* **2016** - The Great Race (*cameo*)
* **2018** - Big World! Big Adventures! (*cameo*)

#### Music Videos

* **Series 21** - Set Friendship in Motion
* **Big World! Big Adventures!** - We're Friends (*cameo*)
* **Series 22** - The Steam Team

## Voice Actors

* Tom Stourton (*UK/US*)
* Daniel Lacy (*Latin America*)
* Nobuaki Kanemitsu (*Japan*)

## Trivia

* When the Thin and Fat Clergymen visited the Arlesdale Railway, they drove a purple car with the number plate "040 BMC".
* In the fourth series episode, Sleeping Beauty, the Fat Clergyman's role was replaced by the Portly Man.
* The Fat Clergyman's CGI render was modified into a Mainland Controller seen in The Great Race.