The Fat Clergyman (T&F)

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The Fat Clergyman
Background Information
First Appearance	Small Railway Engines (RWS) Tit for Tat (T&F)
Last Appearance	Duke the Lost Engine (RWS)
Creator(s)	Rev. W. Awdry
Voice Actors
UK/US Voice Actor	Tom Stourton
Character Overview
Name	Edwin "Teddy" Boston
Gender	Male
Country of Origin	The Mainland
Affiliation	The Thin Clergyman
Biographical Background
Born	20th August, 1924
Died	1st April, 1986 (RWS)
Occupation	Church of England clergyman, railway enthusiast, and author

“Excuse me, are you a Vandal? Driver told me Vandals break in and smash things.”

― Duke

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.

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.

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.

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.

Appearances

• The Railway Series
• Thomas & Friends

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

• Season 20 - Tit for Tat
• Season 21 - Confused Coaches (cameo)

Specials:

• The Great Race (cameo)

Music Videos

• Set Friendship in Motion

Voice Actors

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

Trivia

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

References

United Kingdom

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* RWS only | ** T&F only