House of the Stewards

Húrin of Emyn Arnen was the Steward to King Minardil of Gondor, and a nobleman in his own right. In Húrin's time, the office of Steward had already been long established: it had been created by King Rómendacil I, more than a thousand years earlier. Húrin, though, was the first of the hereditary Stewards: those that followed him were always selected from among his descendants (though not always by direct descent, at least initially).

So Húrin established the House of Stewards, often called the House of Húrin. Three centuries after his time, his descendant Pelendur established a direct line of Stewards, so that each holder of the office was succeeded by his eldest son, wherever possible. Pelendur's grandson Mardil was Steward to the last King of Gondor, Eärnur. After Eärnur was lost in Minas Morgul, Mardil took up the direct rule of Gondor himself. So the dynasty of Ruling Stewards was established, a dynasty that would last through twenty-four generations to Denethor II, Steward at the time of the War of the Ring.

Though Denethor was the last Ruling Steward, the office itself continued. King Elessar took Denethor's surviving heir Faramir as his Steward, so the House established by Húrin fourteen centuries beforehand continued into the Fourth Age.

For a list of all the known Stewards of this House from Húrin onward, see the entry for Steward of Gondor. For a genealogical chart of the Stewards' descent, see the entry for House of Húrin.