One of the genealogical charts included with the Red Book, showing the history of the Gamgee and Cotton families, and the emergence of their descendants the Fairbairns and the Gardners. The tree traces the families back to three important figures: Hamfast of Gamwich (from whose descendants the name 'Gamgee' would originate), Holman the greenhanded (who began the gardening tradition of the family), and Cottar (from whom the Cottons would descend).
The earliest of these three was Hamfast of Gamwich, who was born in 1160 by the Shire-reckoning (or III 2760, the year after the Long Winter). The chart shows Hamfast's descendants through five generations down to his famous great-great-great-grandson Samwise Gamgee. On Cottar's side, four generations are shown, down to Rose Cotton, who would marry Sam Gamgee after his return from the Quest of Mount Doom. Sam and Rose had thirteen children in all, and from those children came the Fairbairns of Undertowers and the Gardner family.
Notes
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The Longfather-tree includes a reference to the birth of Harding of the Hill in IV 80 (or 1501 by the Shire-reckoning) so this is the absolute earliest date it can have reached its final form. We're told in the Note on Shire Records that accompanies The Lord of the Rings that genealogies were added to the Red Book in Westmarch, so this chart was likely created or commissioned by one of the Fairbairn family; that is, one of Sam Gamgee's own descendants.
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- Updated 20 January 2014
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