The Shire

Frodo Baggins, Bilbo's heir, was the Ring-bearer who carried the One Ring from the Shire to the fire of Mount Doom. Wounded in body and spirit by the journey, he saved the Shire but could not enjoy it, and sailed into the West with the last of the Elves.

Peregrin Took, youngest of the Fellowship, was the heir of the Thain whose curiosity drew Sauron's eye through the palantír and whose loyalty saved Faramir from the pyre. He fought at the Black Gate, roused the Tookland against the ruffians, and ruled the Shire as its thirty-second Thain.

Bandobras Took, the Bullroarer, was the giant among hobbits who could ride a horse and who broke an Orc invasion at the Battle of Greenfields in T.A. 2747, knocking the head from the goblin-king Golfimbul. He was the only hobbit warrior of legend before the War of the Ring.

Lobelia Sackville-Baggins, born a Bracegirdle of Hardbottle, spent eighty years coveting Bag End and feuding with Bilbo, only to be imprisoned by her own son's ruffians when she attacked them with her umbrella. Released a heroine, she gave Bag End back to Frodo and her fortune to the homeless.

Rose Cotton of Bywater, the farmer's daughter whom Samwise Gamgee thought of on the road to Mordor, became his wife, the mistress of Bag End and the mother of thirteen children. Her death after sixty-two years of marriage set Sam on his last journey to the Havens.

Gandalf, called Olórin in Valinor and Mithrandir by the Elves, was the wisest of the Istari, a Maia sent by the Valar to rouse the free peoples against Sauron. Bearer of Narya, the Ring of Fire, he uncovered the Necromancer, set the quest of Erebor in motion, unmasked the One Ring, led the Fellowship, died against the Balrog of Moria and returned as Gandalf the White to guide the West to victory in the War of the Ring, after which he sailed into the West.

The Witch-king was the greatest of the Nine Ringwraiths, a king and sorcerer of the Second Age who took one of the Nine Rings and became Sauron's deadliest servant. As King of Angmar he destroyed the North-kingdom of Arnor; as Lord of Minas Morgul he ended the line of Gondor's kings; and as the Black Captain he led the hunt for the Ring and the assault on Minas Tirith, where Éowyn and Merry fulfilled Glorfindel's prophecy and destroyed him.

Gríma son of Gálmód, called Wormtongue, was the counsellor of King Théoden who secretly served Saruman and poisoned the king's mind and body until Gandalf exposed him. Driven from Edoras, he became Saruman's wretched servant in Orthanc and in the Shire, and at the very end of the War of the Ring he cut his master's throat on the doorstep of Bag End and was shot by hobbit archers.

Khamûl the Easterling was the second of the Nine Ringwraiths after the Witch-king, and the only one besides him whose name survives. He commanded Dol Guldur from T.A. 2951, was the Black Rider who came closest to Frodo in the Shire, and perished with the rest of the Nine in the fire of Mount Doom.

Chief of the Mearas, the great horses of Rohan, and the swiftest horse of his day. Taken from Théoden's herds by Gandalf in T.A. 3018 and afterwards given to him outright, he carried the wizard across half of Middle-earth in the War of the Ring, and alone of all beasts stood unmoved before the Witch-king at the broken gate of Minas Tirith.

Gildor Inglorion, a Noldo of the House of Finrod, led the company of wandering Elves who met Frodo, Sam and Pippin in the Woody End on the first night of their journey, drove off a Black Rider by their coming, and sent word of the Ring-bearer's peril across Eriador. He passed West with the last riding of the Elves in T.A. 3021.

Saruman the White, Curunír to the Elves, was the chief of the Istari and head of the White Council, a Maia of Aulë whose great knowledge of craft and Ring-lore turned to pride. He seized Isengard, fell under Sauron's sway through the palantír, bred the Uruk-hai and made war on Rohan, was overthrown by the Ents and cast out of the order by Gandalf, and died a beggar's death in the Shire at the hand of his own servant.

Peregrin Took, youngest of the Fellowship, was the heir of the Thain whose curiosity drew Sauron's eye through the palantír and whose loyalty saved Faramir from the pyre. He fought at the Black Gate, roused the Tookland against the ruffians, and ruled the Shire as its thirty-second Thain.

Gerontius Took, the Old Took, was Thain of the Shire for over forty years, father of twelve children, friend of Gandalf, and at a hundred and thirty the longest-lived hobbit on record until Bilbo. Nearly every hobbit in the story of the Ring descended from him.

Lotho Sackville-Baggins, the son of Lobelia, bought up half the Southfarthing with Saruman's money, imported Men to enforce his rule and made himself Chief of the Shire, only to become a prisoner in his own hole and to be murdered there by Wormtongue.

Bucca of the Marish was the first Thain of the Shire, chosen in T.A. 1979 to hold the authority of the vanished king after the fall of Arthedain. His descendants the Oldbucks held the Thainship for twelve generations before becoming the Brandybucks of Buckland.

Paladin Took, a farmer of Whitwell who unexpectedly became the thirty-first Thain, was the father of Peregrin and the only leader in the Shire to defy Lotho's ruffians, holding the Tookland against them until his son came home.

Bandobras Took, the Bullroarer, was the giant among hobbits who could ride a horse and who broke an Orc invasion at the Battle of Greenfields in T.A. 2747, knocking the head from the goblin-king Golfimbul. He was the only hobbit warrior of legend before the War of the Ring.

Golfimbul was the goblin chieftain of Mount Gram whose raid into the Shire in T.A. 2747 was defeated at the Battle of Greenfields, where Bandobras Bullroarer Took struck off his head with a club. His is the only Orc invasion of the Shire recorded before the War of the Ring.

A half-starved pony bought from Bill Ferny at Bree, nursed back to strength by Sam Gamgee, and taken as the pack-beast of the Fellowship of the Ring as far as the West-gate of Moria. He found his own way home to Bree and was reunited with Sam a year later.

Farmer Maggot of Bamfurlong in the Marish, the mushroom-grower whose dogs terrified the young Frodo, turned a Black Rider off his land, sheltered the hobbits and drove them to the ferry. Tom Bombadil counted him a friend and a hobbit of deep roots.

Gerontius Took, the Old Took, was Thain of the Shire for over forty years, father of twelve children, friend of Gandalf, and at a hundred and thirty the longest-lived hobbit on record until Bilbo. Nearly every hobbit in the story of the Ring descended from him.

Bucca of the Marish was the first Thain of the Shire, chosen in T.A. 1979 to hold the authority of the vanished king after the fall of Arthedain. His descendants the Oldbucks held the Thainship for twelve generations before becoming the Brandybucks of Buckland.

Paladin Took, a farmer of Whitwell who unexpectedly became the thirty-first Thain, was the father of Peregrin and the only leader in the Shire to defy Lotho's ruffians, holding the Tookland against them until his son came home.

Lobelia Sackville-Baggins, born a Bracegirdle of Hardbottle, spent eighty years coveting Bag End and feuding with Bilbo, only to be imprisoned by her own son's ruffians when she attacked them with her umbrella. Released a heroine, she gave Bag End back to Frodo and her fortune to the homeless.

Golfimbul was the goblin chieftain of Mount Gram whose raid into the Shire in T.A. 2747 was defeated at the Battle of Greenfields, where Bandobras Bullroarer Took struck off his head with a club. His is the only Orc invasion of the Shire recorded before the War of the Ring.

Marcho and Blanco, two Fallohide brothers of Bree, obtained leave from King Argeleb II in T.A. 1601 to settle the land beyond the Brandywine and led the great crossing of the Bridge of Stonebows that founded the Shire. Shire Reckoning counts its years from their crossing.