View source for Sir Stephen Topham Hatt III

{{Tabber|tab1=[[Sir Stephen Topham Hatt III|The Railway Series]]|tab2=[[Stephen Hatt (T&F)|Thomas & Friends]]}}
{{Tabber|tab1=[[Sir Topham Hatt (RWS)|Sir Topham Hatt I]]|tab2=[[Sir Charles Topham Hatt II|Sir Topham Hatt II]]|tab3=[[Sir Stephen Topham Hatt III|Sir Topham Hatt III]]}}
{{Otheruses1|Sir Topham Hatt}}
{{Otheruses4|Stephen}}
{{Infobox Character Human
|title1=Sir Stephen Topham Hatt III
|image1=
<gallery>
File:StephenHattRWS.png|II
File:StephenHattRWS2.png|I
</gallery>
|first_appearance=[[Toby the Tram Engine]] {{Note|1952}}
|last_appearance=[[Thomas and His Friends]] {{Note|2011}}
|creator(s)=[[Wilbert Awdry|Rev. W. Awdry]]
|name=
* Sir Stephen Topham Hatt{{Ref|name=rbtl21}}
* Sir Topham Hatt III
* Stephen Hatt {{Formerly}}
|title=The Fat Controller
|gender=Male
|country_of_origin={{Flag|ios}} [[Island of Sodor (RWS)|Island of Sodor]]
|affiliation=[[North Western Railway (RWS)|North Western Railway]]
|born=1941{{Ref|name=rbtl21}}{{Ref|name=tios|[[The Railway Series|RWS]] "[[The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways]]" p. 106-107}}
|occupation=Railway controller
|years_active=1984{{Ref|name=rbtl21}}{{Ref|name=tios}}-present{{Ref|name=Stephen in 2021}}
|parents=
* [[Sir Charles Topham Hatt II]]{{Ref|name=rbtl21}}{{Ref|name=tios}}
* [[Lady Amanda Hatt|Amanda Croarie]]{{Ref|name=rbtl21}}{{Ref|name=tios}}
|spouse(s)=Helen Margaret {{Note|1970-present}}{{Ref|name=rbtl21}}
|children=
* [[Richard Topham Hatt]]{{Ref|name=rbtl21}}
* Charles Nicholas Hatt{{Ref|name=rbtl21}}
* Emily Helen Hatt{{Ref|name=rbtl21}}
|relative(s)=
* [[Bridget Hatt (RWS)|Bridget Hatt]] {{Note|sister}}
* [[Sir Topham Hatt (RWS)|Sir Topham]] and [[Lady Hatt (RWS)|Lady Hatt]] {{Note|grandparents}}
* [[The Owner#Sir Handel Brown I|Sir Handel Brown I]] {{Note|grand uncle}}
* Dorothy Lloyd {{Note|grand aunt}}
* [[Barbara Jane Hatt]] {{Note|aunt}}
* Henry Regaby {{Note|uncle}}
* [[The Owner#Sir Handel Brown II|Sir Handel Brown II]] {{Note|first cousin once removed}}
* Rebecca Dorothy Brown and Handel Qualtrough Brown {{Note|second cousin}}
}}'''Sir Stephen Topham Hatt III'''{{Ref|name=rbtl21}}, also known as '''The Fat Controller''', is the grandson of [[Sir Topham Hatt (RWS)|Sir Topham Hatt I]], son of [[Sir Charles Topham Hatt II]], and older brother to [[Bridget Hatt (RWS)|Bridget Hatt]]. He took over his father's role as controller of the [[North Western Railway (RWS)|North Western Railway]] in 1984{{Ref|name=rbtl21}}{{Ref|name=tios}} and became '''Sir Topham Hatt III''' in 1997.{{Ref|name=rbtl21}}

==Biography==
Stephen Hatt was born in 1941 to Charles Topham and Amanda Hatt (née Croarie), while 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 (RWS)|Toby]], but Bridget accidentally offended him by assuming he was an electric tram.{{Ref|[[The Railway Series|RWS]] #7 ''[[Toby the Tram Engine]]'' - "[[Toby the Tram Engine#Toby and the Stout Gentleman|Toby and the Stout Gentleman]]"}}

He became the Fat Controller in 1984 and succeeded to his father's baronetcy upon his death in 1997.{{Ref|name=rbtl21}} In 1970, he married Helen Margaret, a distant cousin and granddaughter of the Reverend Nicholas Dreswick, the much-respected historian of [[Island of Sodor (RWS)|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 [[Other Real Human Characters#Prince Charles|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. It is unknown when Stephen retired or died.{{Ref|name=Stephen in 2021|ref=[https://x.com/LostEngines/status/1468585297667493888 @LostEngines on X]}}
{{Clear}}
==Family Tree==
{{Hatt family tree (RWS)}}
==Appearances==
<tabber>
Railway Series=
{{Scroll box|
===''[[The Railway Series]]''===
* '''[[Toby the Tram Engine]]''' - [[Toby the Tram Engine#Toby and the Stout Gentleman|Toby and the Stout Gentleman]]
* '''[[James and the Diesel Engines]]''' - [[James and the Diesel Engines#Old Stuck-Up|Old Stuck-Up]] {{Not seen}} and [[James and the Diesel Engines#Crossed Lines|Crossed Lines]] {{Does not speak}}
* '''[[More About Thomas the Tank Engine]]''' - [[More About Thomas the Tank Engine#Thomas, Percy and the Coal|Thomas, Percy and the Coal]] {{Mentioned}}, [[More About Thomas the Tank Engine#The Runaway|The Runaway]] and [[More About Thomas the Tank Engine#Better Late Than Never|Better Late Than Never]] {{Mentioned}}
* '''[[Gordon the High-Speed Engine]]''' - [[Gordon the High-Speed Engine#High-Speed Gordon|High-Speed Gordon]] {{Mentioned}}, [[Gordon the High-Speed Engine#Smokescreen|Smokescreen]] {{Does not speak}}, [[Gordon the High-Speed Engine#Fire Escape|Fire Escape]] and [[Gordon the High-Speed Engine#Gordon Proves His Point|Gordon Proves His Point]]
* '''[[Toby, Trucks and Trouble]]''' - [[Toby, Trucks and Trouble#Mavis and the Lorry|Mavis and the Lorry]], [[Toby, Trucks and Trouble#Toby's Seaside Holiday|Toby's Seaside Holiday]] {{Mentioned}}, [[Toby, Trucks and Trouble#Bulstrode|Bulstrode]] {{Mentioned}} and [[Toby, Trucks and Trouble#Toby Takes the Road|Toby Takes the Road]]
* '''[[Thomas and the Twins]]''' - [[Thomas and the Twins#Scrambled Eggs|Scrambled Eggs]] and [[Thomas and the Twins#Trevor Helps Out|Trevor Helps Out]]
* '''[[Thomas and the Great Railway Show]]''' - [[Thomas and the Great Railway Show#Museum-Piece|Museum-Piece]], [[Thomas and the Great Railway Show#Not the Ticket|Not the Ticket]] {{Mentioned}}, [[Thomas and the Great Railway Show#Trouble on the Line|Trouble on the Line]] {{Mentioned}} and [[Thomas and the Great Railway Show#Thomas and the Railtour|Thomas and the Railtour]]
* '''[[Thomas Comes Home]]''' - [[Thomas Comes Home#Snow Problem|Snow Problem]] {{Mentioned}}, [[Thomas Comes Home#Washout!|Washout!]] {{Does not speak}} and [[Thomas Comes Home#Thomas Comes Home|Thomas Comes Home]]
* '''[[Henry and the Express]]''' - [[Henry and the Express#Out of Puff|Out of Puff]] {{Mentioned}}, [[Henry and the Express#Overhaul|Overhaul]], [[Henry and the Express#Sliding Scales|Sliding Scales]] {{Mentioned}} and [[Henry and the Express#Henry Sees Red|Henry Sees Red]]
* '''[[Wilbert the Forest Engine]]''' - [[Wilbert the Forest Engine#Percy's Porridge|Percy's Porridge]] and [[Wilbert the Forest Engine#Wired-Up|Wired-Up]]
* '''[[Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines]]''' - [[Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines#Birdstrike|Birdstrike]], [[Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines#Edward and the Cabbages|Edward and the Cabbages]], [[Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines#Rabbits|Rabbits]] {{Not seen}} and [[Thomas and the Fat Controller's Engines#Golden Jubilee|Golden Jubilee]]
* '''[[Thomas and Victoria]]''' - [[Thomas and Victoria#Overloaded|Overloaded]] {{Note|not seen; does not speak}}, [[Thomas and Victoria#Avalanche|Avalanche]] {{Mentioned}} and [[Thomas and Victoria#Toby's Vintage Train|Toby's Vintage Train]]
* '''[[Thomas and his Friends]]''' - [[Thomas and his Friends#Thomas and the Swan|Thomas and the Swan]], [[Thomas and his Friends#Buffer Bashing|Buffer Bashing]], [[Thomas and his Friends#Gordon's Fire Service|Gordon's Fire Service]] {{Does not speak}} and [[Thomas and his Friends#Centenary|Centenary]]

====Companion Volumes====
* '''1986''' - [[Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree (story)|Thomas and the Missing Christmas Tree]]
* '''1987''' - [[The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways]] {{Mentioned}} and [[Thomas and the Evil Diesel]]
* '''1992''' - [[Thomas and the Hurricane]]
* '''2005''' - [[Sodor: Reading Between the Lines]]
}}|-|Other Media=
{{Scroll box|
===[[Annuals|Annual Stories]]===
* '''1985''' - [[Percy to the Rescue]] and [[Donald's Duck (annual story)|Donald's Duck]] {{Mentioned}}

===Books===
* '''2005''' - [[Thomas the Tank Engine Encyclopedia (Japanese)|Thomas the Tank Engine Encyclopedia]] and [[Thomas Goods Encyclopedia]]

===Documentaries===
* '''1994''' - [[The Making of Thomas the Tank Engine]]
* '''1995''' - [[The Thomas the Tank Engine Man (Bookmark Documentary)|The Thomas the Tank Engine Man]]
* '''2005''' - [[Hashire! The "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends" Steam Locomotive is Alive!]]
* '''2015''' - [[Secret Journey of Thomas the Tank Engine]] and [[Original 70th Anniversary History Time Travel]]
}}</tabber>

==Official Description==
<tabber>
2005=
'''From Official Media:'''{{Ref|name=rbtl21|[[The Railway Series|RWS]] "[[Sodor: Reading Between the Lines]]" p. 21}}

{{Quote2|'''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 in 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.}}
</tabber>

==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 Awdry|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 (whose role as Sodor's historian is a homage to the [[Wilbert Awdry|Rev. W. Awdry]] - meaning he is indirectly named in honour of Christopher's father).

==Gallery==
===''The Railway Series''===
====Main Series====
<gallery position="center" spacing="small" captionalign="center" bordersize="none">
File:TobyandtheStoutGentlemanRS3.PNG|Stephen Hatt (centre) with his sister Bridget in ''The Railway Series''
File:TobyandtheStoutGentlemanRS6.png|Stephen Hatt on Toby's footplate
File:GordonProvesHisPointRS6.png|Sir Stephen Hatt as the third Fat Controller with [[Gordon (RWS)|Gordon]]
File:SmokeScreenRS5.png
File:HenrySeesRedRS4.png|Sir Stephen Hatt with [[Henry (RWS)|Henry]] in his red undercoat
File:Wired-UpRS7.png|Sir Stephen Hatt with [[Wilbert]]
File:BirdstrikeRS2.png|Sir Stephen Hatt with [[James (RWS)|James]] and [[Percy (RWS)|Percy]]
File:EdwardAndTheCabbagesRS5.png|Sir Stephen Hatt in his office
File:Toby'sVintageTrainRS6.png|Sir Stephen Hatt with Toby, [[Henrietta (RWS)|Henrietta]] and [[Victoria]] at [[Ffarquhar (RWS)|Ffarquhar]]
File:ThomasandtheSwanRS1.png
</gallery>

====Miscellaneous====
<gallery position="center" spacing="small" captionalign="center" bordersize="none">
File:ThomasandtheEvilDiesel2.png|Sir Stephen Hatt with Percy inside [[Ffarquhar Sheds]]
File:ThomasandtheEvilDiesel6.png
File:ThomasandtheEvilDiesel17.png|Sir Stephen Hatt scolding [[Diesel (RWS)|Diesel]]
File:ThomasandtheHurricane30.png|Sir Stephen Hatt as illustrated by [[Stephen Lings]]
File:BertieSirTophamHattRWS.png|[[Bertie (RWS)|Bertie]] and Sir Stephen Hatt
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{North Western Railway (RWS)}}
[[es:Sir Stephen Topham Hatt III]]
[[he:סטיבן האט]]
[[pl:Stefcio Szyneczka]]
[[ru:Стивен Хэтт]]
[[Category:Humans]]
[[Category:North Western Railway]]
[[Category:The Railway Series characters]]
[[Category:Awdry-created characters]]
[[Category:Male characters]]
[[Category:Staff]]
[[Category:Hatt family]]
[[Category:1952]]
[[Category:1950s]]