The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien
Dates
Established after III 1979 (379 by the Shire-reckoning);1 the family name was changed to 'Brandybuck' after the settlement of Buckland in III 2340 (S.R. 740)
Location
Associated with the Marish in the Shire's Eastfarthing
Origins
Descended from Bucca of the Marish, the first Thain of the Shire
Race
Culture
Settlements
Perhaps associated with Stock2
Meaning
The 'old' family descended from Bucca (whose name means 'buck')
Other names
After the founding of Buckland, the family name was changed to 'Brandybuck'

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 24 April 2018
  • Updates planned: 1

Oldbuck Family

The descendants of Bucca of the Marish

The descendants of Bucca of the Marish and hereditary Thains of the Shire for many years. Gorhendad Oldbuck moved the family seat to Brandy Hall in Buckland, and changed the family's name to Brandybuck.


Notes

1

The Oldbucks were descended from Bucca of the Marish, the Shire's first Thain, and indeed the name 'Oldbuck' is partially derived from 'Bucca' (which means 'buck'). Bucca lived in the fourth century by the Shire-reckoning (becoming Thain in S.R. 379) so the Oldbuck family must have emerged after this date. They were said to have been one of the oldest families in the Shire, so the first Oldbucks would presumably have appeared relatively soon after Bucca's time. We might surmise that the family would not at first have been the 'Oldbucks' (which would be a strange name for a newly-arisen clan). The family was perhaps originally known simply as 'Buck' (following their ancestor Bucca) with the 'Old-' prefix being acquired in later years.

2

All we know for sure about the Oldbucks was that they had their roots in the Marish, and that region evidently remained their folkland until the time they removed to Buckland across the Brandywine. Stock was the largest town in this region, and indeed the only significant town of any size, so on balance it seems likely that the Oldbucks were historically associated with that settlement. We cannot be certain on this point: the Oldbucks might potentially have originated in the village of Rushey, south of Stock, or may have had some other seat not mentioned in later records of the Shire.

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 24 April 2018
  • Updates planned: 1

For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page.

Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 1998, 2001, 2009, 2018. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ.

Website services kindly sponsored by Discus from Axiom Software Ltd.
Discus DISC profiling: bringing technology to team building, assessment and relationship management.
The Encyclopedia of Arda
The Encyclopedia of Arda
Menu
Homepage Search Latest Entries and Updates Random Entry