Man behind the Mythology

[Son of Númenor]

It seems, sadly, that I have been misinformed. I was operating under the impression that Mr. Samson Gamgee was a neighbor of J.R.R. Tolkien's in Sarehole. In fact, Tolkien was unaware of Mr. Gamgee at the time that The Lord of the Rings was published. It was only after the book was published that Mr. Gamgee, a local Birmingham man and notable inventor as you said Bêth, became known to Tolkien.

Gamgee is quite a different matter. In my early days gamgee was the word we used for what is/was more generally called 'cotton-wool'.....Recently in the English Place Names Society volumes on Gloucestershire (vol. iii) I came across forms that could conceivably explain the curious Gamgee as a variant of the not uncommon surname Gamage (Gammage, Gammidge). This name is ultimately derived from a surname de Gamaches....but early records of the forms of this name in England, as Gamages, de Gamagis, de Gemegis, might well provide a variant Gamagi > Gamgee.

Your reference to Samson Gamgee is thus very interesting. Since he is mentioned in a book on Birmingham Jewry, I wonder if this family was also Jewish. In which case the origin of the name might be quite different. Not that a name of French or Francized form is impossible for a Jewish surname, especially if it is one long established in England. We now associate Jewish names largely with German, and with a colloquial Yiddish that is predominantly German in origin.* But the lingua franca of mediaeval Jewry was (I was told by Cecil Roth, a friend of mine) of French or mixed French-Provencal character. (Letters, 324)

Samwise Gamgee's name was not a derivation of Samson Gamgee's. Therefore my initial question was flawed and, since Bêth provided the factually accurate answer, I yield the floor.

Apologies,
Númenor

[Bêthberry]

Such are the conflations of memory and art, Son of Númenor, wherein we make our meaning. No great error, I would think. As Tolkien himself said, what if a Mr. S. Gollem should appear on his doorstep!

Which brings me to my question now. In honour of Mother's Day (at least in North America, although not in England), let me ask this.

In what way was Tolkien's engagement to Edith Bratt similar to Mabel Suffield's engagement to Arthur Tolkien?

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Both couples had to wait three years to be officially engaged, since their respective parents/guardian thought them too young for that commitment.

[Bêthberry]

Quite right, Esty. A bit fascinating, isn't it? And now, for your next question ...

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Who wrote this brief book report on The Hobbit and what happened as a result?

Bilbo Baggins was a hobbit who lived in his hobbit-hole and never went for adventures, at last Gandalf the wizard and his dwarves perswaded [sic] him to go. He had a very exciting time fighting goblins and wargs, at last they got to the lonley [sic] mountain; Smaug, the dragon who gawreds [sic] it is killed and after a terrific battle with the goblins he returned home - rich! This book, with the help of maps, does not need any illustrations it is good and should appeal to all children between the ages of 5 and 9.

(Bb, that is an interesting comparison - I'd never noticed it before!)

[The Saucepan Man]

At a guess, I'd say that the review was by Stanley Unwin's son Rayner, and that the Hobbit was published by Unwin in consequence of it.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Great guess, Saucy! You're right, of course - as a matter of fact, he even got paid one shilling for that report. Wouldn't we like to get paid for reading good books!

You have the floor...