MBTI Type: ISTJ

Thomas loves his routine and is not happy when anything forces him to deviate from his usual schedule. He feels a strong sense of community and highly values things that tie to him to the past, and to the history of Candleford, including his faith and his deeper desire to become a husband and father. Thomas has a strong idea of what he believes things should be like (what a wife does, what a husband does, what family is about, how a church service should go, etc). Although not imaginative or particularly adventure-seeking, Thomas does have a highly superstitious side to him which falls prey to fits of imagination and fancy. He is resistant to new ideas and philosophies, but also feels enough yearning for newness that he changes his life by getting married. He is efficient and very much enjoys organizing his time, sorting through the mail, figuring out how long things will take to accomplish, and in saving money. He is sometimes such a stickler for the post office rules (many of which he has memorized and praises for their efficiency) that he refuses to deliver telegrams if they are not paid for in full. Thomas sometimes is so intent on enforcing post office regulations that he neglects to consider the human element involved. The things that matter most to him, such as his faith, Thomas highly values and devotes a lot of time, energy, and attention to pursuing. He has strong morals that he refuses to compromise on, even if it means standing against his friends at the post office. Thomas feels strongly about things, but is completely incapable of articulating his feelings or talking about them in ways other people understand. It’s hard for him to express his feelings to others.

Enneagram: 1w9 so/sp

Thomas is a somewhat unhealthy 1, in that he’s forever finding fault with other people (but not so much himself). He has a rigidity about him that makes him overreact to immorality, misbehavior of any kind, and shun people who do not abide by “the laws of God and men.” Out of a desire to be holy, he even tries to deny himself the physical pleasures of marital life, until his wife assures him it is all right. Thomas prides himself on being good, dutiful, doing a perfect job on his rounds, and following the rules of the post office. This makes him a bit heavy-handed with the Lark Rise folks when he won’t give them a telegram because someone can’t pay for it. His 9 wing makes him distressed with upheaval, and not want to cause unnecessary conflict, but also numb to his own feelings at times.