| For other uses, see Sir Topham Hatt. |
| For other uses, see Stephen (disambiguation). |
Sir Stephen Topham Hatt III[1], also known as The Fat Controller, is the grandson of Sir Topham Hatt I, son of Sir Charles Topham Hatt II, and older brother to Bridget Hatt. He took over his father's role as controller of the North Western Railway in 1984 and became Sir Topham Hatt III in 1997.
Biography[]
Stephen Hatt was born in 1941 to Charles Topham and Amanda Hatt (née Croarie), his sister Bridget was born two years later in 1943. In 1951, around nine or ten years old, he and his family spent a long holiday on Toby's Old Tramway in East Anglia. Stephen was excited when he first met Toby, but Bridget accidentally offended him by assuming he was an electric tram.[2]
He became the Fat Controller in 1984 and succeeded to his father's baronetcy upon his death in 1997. In 1970, he married Helen Margaret, a distant cousin and granddaughter of the Reverend Nicholas Dreswick, the much-respected historian of Sodor. They had three children: Richard Topham, born in 1972 and no doubt destined to be Sir Topham Hatt IV (Stephen turned seventy-nine in 2020 and gave no hint of retiring), Charles Nicholas (born 1974) and Emily Helen (born 1977).
He played a part in the construction of Jock, which was a project dear to his father's heart. With great skill, he masterminded the arrangements for the royal visit in 1995, when he welcomed the Prince of Wales on his first visit to Sodor.
Richard Topham is no doubt destined to be Sir Topham Hatt IV, but when is yet to be known. In Sodor: Reading Between the Lines, it was last heard that his father was 64 in 2005. As of 2024, Stephen has not given any hint of a retirement.[3]
Family Tree[]
| Lord Frederick Regaby † | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lancelot Qualtrough | Lady Dorothy Lloyd | Sir Handel Brown I † | Jabez Croarie | Lady Jane Brown | Sir Topham Hatt I † | Albert Regaby † | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lady Rachel Qualtrough | Sir Handel Lloyd Brown II | Lady Amanda Croarie | Sir Charles Topham Hatt II † | Barabra Jane Hatt | Henry Regaby | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rebecca Dorothy Brown | Handel Qualtrough Brown | Bridget Amanda Hatt | Sir Stephen Topham Hatt III | Lady Helen Margaret | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Richard Topham Hatt | Charles Nicholas Hatt | Emily Helen Hatt | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Appearances[]
Official Description[]
From Official Media:[1]
| “ | Sir Topham Hatt (3) (b1941): Sir Stephen Topham Hatt is mentioned with his sister Bridget in Toby the Tram Engine, while on a family holiday in England with his parents and grandfather, Sir Topham Hatt (1). He became Fat Controller in 1984, succeeding to his father's baronetcy in 1997. In 1970 he had married Helen Margaret, a distant cousin and grandaughter of the Rev'd Nicholas Dreswick, the much-respected historian of the Island of Sodor. They have three children: Richard Topham, born in 1972 and no doubt destined to be Sir Topham Hatt (4) - his father will be 65 in 2006 though he has, as yet, given no hint of an impending retirement - Charles Nicholas (1974) and Emily Helen (1977). He played a part ib arranging for the construction of the Arlesdale Railway's new locomotive, Jock, in 1990, a project which had been dear to his father's heart. With great skill he masterminded the arrangements for the royal visit in 1995, when he welcomed the Prince of Wales on his first visit to the Island. | ” |
Trivia[]
- Stephen's son, Richard Topham, shares his first name with Christopher Awdry's own son, Richard Awdry, while his wife, Helen Margaret, and daughter, Emily Helen, share their middle and first name, respectively, with Christopher's mother, Margaret Emily Awdry. It is likely that Christopher named Stephen's family in honour of his own.
- In-universe, Charles Nicholas Hatt appears to be named in honour of his paternal grandfather, Charles Topham Hatt, and maternal great-grandfather, the Reverend Nicholas Dreswick (who's role as Sodor's historian is a homage to the Rev. W. Awdry - meaning he is indirectly named in honour of Christopher's father).
Gallery[]
The Railway Series[]
Main Series[]
Miscellaneous[]
References[]