The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien
Dates
The first recorded use of the name was for Elfstan Fairbairn, born IV 33; the family line continued into the Fourth Age
Origins
Descendants of Fastred of Greenholm and Elanor Gamgee through their son Elfstan
Race
Division
The family contained a Fallohidish strain1
Culture
Family
Descended from the Gamgee family through Samwise Gamgee's eldest child, Elanor
Settlements
Undertowers on the Tower Hills, in the Westmarch of the Shire
Meaning
'Fair child'2
Titles
The Fairbairns were the hereditary Wardens of Westmarch

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About this entry:

  • Updated 30 March 2022
  • Updates planned: 1

Fairbairn Family

The hereditary Wardens of Westmarch

Fastred of
Greenholm

Elanor
Gamgee

Elfstan
Fairbairn

Fíriel
At least one
other sister
Fairbairn
Family

The family of the descendants of Samwise Gamgee, through his eldest daughter Elanor and her husband Fastred of Greenholm. Fastred became the first Warden of Westmarch, a title handed down to his son Elfstan Fairbairn and his descendants. The family seat was at Undertowers on the Tower Hills, so that the family are often referred to as the 'Fairbairns of the Towers'.


Notes

1

By the end of the Third Age, the original three strains of Hobbit-kind were no longer strongly distinct from one another in the Shire, but nonetheless traits associated with them would appear from time to time. One of these was the golden hair of the Fallohides, from whom the Gamgees were in part descended. This tendency to golden hair was increased by Sam's association with Galadriel (by means unknown, though it is speculated that Sam's gift from Galadriel, the fine earth of Lórien, might have played some part). Several of Sam Gamgee's children were noted for their golden hair, including Elanor, the ancestress of the Fairbairns.

2

The use of 'fair' in this name is discussed by Tolkien in his notes for translators of The Lord of the Rings. Its main meaning is a broad one, being intended to suggest the Elvish beauty of Elanor and her descendants. However, 'fair' can also mean 'blonde', and that secondary meaning is also intentional, showing that the golden hair of the Fallohides was passed down through the Fairbairn family.

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 30 March 2022
  • Updates planned: 1

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