'Fattest man' picture goes to auction

A painting depicting a vicar said to have been the fattest man in England is to be auctioned later.

The Reverend Joseph Coltman weighed 43 stone at his heaviest, according to York-based auctioneer Duggleby Stephenson. By the age of 19, while a student at Trinity College Cambridge, he was so heavy he had to commission a special bicycle to help him move around.

When he began working at Beverley Minster in East Yorkshire in 1813, the floors at the parsonage had to be strengthened because of his weight and the doors widened.

A portrait of his silhouette will be sold at auction by a private seller who has owned it for years. Bidding is expected to begin at more than £500.

Mr Coltman earned the title of England's fattest man on 21 June 1809 when the 52 stone Leicester prison warden Daniel Lambert died at the age of 39 in the Waggon and Horses Inn at Stamford, in Lincolnshire, after a day at the races.

He remained the heaviest man in England for 28 years until he died, said the auctioneer.

During his time at Beverley Minster, he had a team of vergers who would help him move to the front of the church to give sermons.

Mr Coltman moved around using a strengthened velocipede, which is a type of bicycle which does not have pedals.

Holly Hammond, the paintings specialist at Duggleby Stephenson, said: "The Reverend Coltman's silhouette causes amazement even today, but 200 years ago the public was completely enthralled.

"Coltman and Lambert had a sort of national celebrity status. Everyone wanted to see them.

"Despite his size, he [Mr Coltman] was a respected scholar and clergyman who played a notable part in the life of Beverley Minster, the town and the wider Yorkshire area.

"He championed local education, helped establish schools, supported charitable institutions and was a vocal advocate of the abolition of slavery and Catholic emancipation."

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