A Hobbit's Tale

:: The life of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien ::

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born at January 3, 1892 in Bloemfontein/South Afrika.

Two years later, JRRT's brother Hilary Arthur Reuel was born. His father Arthur Reuel Tolkien worked in a bank and his mother Mabel Suffield stayed at home with their son.

Both children and Mabel suffered from the extreme heat in South Africa and finally they went to England to have a holiday there. Arthur Tolkien stayed in Africa and just after his wife and his sons had left the country, he was deseased with rheumatic fever. He died at February 15, 1896. Mabel and their children stayed in England and lived modestly in Sarehole near Birmingham. In these hard times, Mabel sought solace in religion. She converted to the Catholic faith.

In 1900, JRRT went to the King Edward School in Birmingham but during the next years the family moved quiete often, so Tolkien changed school very often. During this time the family met Father Francis Xavier Morgan, who became a good friend of them.

In 1903 Tolkien got his first grant and returned to King Edward's School where he started to learn Greek. It was at this time when his interest in laguages began.

In April 1904 his mother was admitted to hospital, the diagnosis was diabetes. In November Mabel fell into a coma and died at the November 14, 1904. The two brothers were completely alone now and Father Francis became their guardian. He brought them to Beatrice Suffield who was an aunt of Mabel. At a new school again, Tolkien continued to learn different languages and at that time he also began to invent his own languages.

In 1908 Tolkien met Edith Bratt. She was a little bit older than Tolkien, and like him she had had a hard childhood.

She had been educated as a pianist. They became friends and later they fell in love with each other. But because of this love Tolkien forgot that he had duties and his results at school became worse. Finally he missed the entrance examintation at Exeter Colloge in Oxford. From this day on Father Francis forbad Tolkien to meet Edith Bratt until he would be 21 years old. Both, Edith and Tolkien, decided to wait for each other.

In 1911 Tolkien finally passed the entrance exam at the Exeter College and he began to study Classics (Latin and Greek). A little later he changed his courses and studied English.

In 1914/1915 Tolkien wrote his first poems and he also invented Quenya, the language of the later Elves (He first invented the language and later he invented also the Elves who should speak it)

In 1915 he passed his final exam with very good results and one year later he married Edith Bratt at March 22, 1916. But instead of working as a professor he entered the army and during the First World War he fought in France. In 1916 he was deseased with a fever and came back to England. Even during this war he began to write tales and stories about Middle Earth, which later became the beginning of "The Silmarillion".

Back in England his first son, his name was John, was born in 1917 and three years later his second son Michael was born. In 1921 Tolkien became professor at the University of Leeds, but in 1925 he was called to the University of Oxford. In 1929 his daughter Priscilla was born.

Then the time began when Tolkien wrote his famous books. In 1936 he finsihed "The Hobbit" and because the book was read by so many people, the publisher and of course also the fans wanted to get an instalment. So Tolkien began to work on "The Lord of the Rings" which was published in 1954.

In 1968 Tolkien retired and moved to Bournemouth. There his wife died on November 29, 1971.

Tolkien returned to Oxford where he began to write down the whole history of Middle Earth.

At September 2, 1973 Tolkien died at the age of 81. After his death his son Christopher continued his father's work.

Edith and John Ronald Reuel Tolkien share one grave and at the gravestone one can read :

Edith Mary Tolkien, Lúthien 1889 – 1971

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, Beren 1892 - 1973

"I am in fact a hobbit in all but size. I like gardens, trees,unmechanized farm lands, I smoke a pipe and like good, plain food-unrefrigerated-but I detest French cooking. I like-and even dare to wear in these dull days-ornamental waistcoats. I'm fond of mushrooms out of a field, have a very simple sense of humor (which even my most appreciate critics find tiresome). I go to bed late, and get up late, when possible."

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien