No Married Persons

[Alfirin]

Originally Posted by Faramir Jones

The Rohirrim, at least at the top of society, might have followed Gondorian, and therefore elvish custom, including the marriage of Thengel with Morwen, a Gondorian woman; but when we go to people like hobbits, let alone dwarves, we know nothing.

Well Both Fodo and Bilbo use the word "married" with regards to what Sam is planning to do with regards to Rosie, so their presumably has to be some sort of formal action. Probably similar to some old English marrying custom. Which one or ones I have no clue (except I am fairly sure that, given the nature of hobbit costume, the one where the groom touches the bride's head with one of the brides shoes is probably not one of them!) Maybe they jump the broomstick (given how clean the hobbits tend to be I'm sure no Hobbit household lacks one.)

[Aganzir]

I think we can pretty firmly deduce that hobbits had big wedding parties that involved giving presents.

[Faramir Jones]

Originally Posted by Alfirin

Well Both Fodo and Bilbo use the word "married" with regards to what Sam is planning to do with regards to Rosie, so their presumably has to be some sort of formal action. Probably similar to some old English marrying custom. Which one or ones I have no clue (except I am fairly sure that, given the nature of hobbit costume, the one where the groom touches the bride's head with one of the brides shoes is probably not one of them!) Maybe they jump the broomstick (given how clean the hobbits tend to be I'm sure no Hobbit household lacks one.)

When I said 'nothing', I meant that we didn't know about the marriage ceremonies of the dwarves and the hobbits. This was unlike those of the elves, and of the men influenced by them. Marriage obviously exists among the Free Peoples, and monogamous marriage at that. According to Tolkien:

'Monogamy' was at this period in the West universally practised, and other systems were regarded with repugnance as things only done 'under the Shadow'. (The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, (London: HarperCollins Publishers, 1995), Letter 214, p. 296)

[Alcidas]

One thing that must be remembered in this context is that the members of the Fellowship are all chosen. This is not simply a band of adventurers that comes together by happenstance, it is a select group that has been put together after the Council of Elrond, with the specific purpose of undertaking a perilous quest.

Clearly, in selecting the members for this quest, one consideration must be paramount, which is that of exactly how dedicated the members of the fellowship will be. In this, I am reminded of the reasons why the members of the Night Watch in the Game of Thrones novels are required to remain single and not have children. As Aemon Targaryen puts it to Jon Snow - Love is the enemy of duty. When it comes to the crunch, it is human nature to value our loved ones more than our sense of duty. Which parent would be willing to sacrifice the life of his or her child in order to see the quest through? Even if there are such candidates around, would Elrond have been unwise enough to select a married man or woman to join the fellowship? Why take the risk that the Enemy may use the wife or child of a member of the fellowship to gain some kind of advantage, when it would be simpler to avoid this situation by choosing a single person?

Legolas, Gimli and Boromir have been selected precisely because they have no marital ties. It is possible that they may have been selected to attend the Council by their respective leaders because they are free of these ties. With the hobbits it is a little more complex, but the process is akin to that of natural selection.

Merry and Pippin choose to follow Frodo only because they have no wives. If they had not been single, it is likely that they would have chosen to stay back, like Fatty Bolger. In the case of Sam, it is again a question of being chosen, not by Elrond but by Gandalf.

To summarise the answer to the original question is that there are no members of the Fellowship who have a spouse because Elrond in his wisdom probably judged that to send a man or elf or dwarf who had a wife whom he would have to leave behind would simply place what is already a very difficult quest in even greater danger.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Alcidas

Legolas, Gimli and Boromir have been selected precisely because they have no marital ties. It is possible that they may have been selected to attend the Council by their respective leaders because they are free of these ties. With the hobbits it is a little more complex, but the process is akin to that of natural selection.

I agree that the Council's members were "chosen", but it seems that the choice was the work of other powers ultimately than any leaders.
Granted, Legolas was sent by Thranduil to Rivendell to explain Gollum's fate, and Boromir's purpose from Denethor was to get the meaning of a dream, but there was no expectation on their part that they would be going off on any sort of quest afterward. Elrond stated that the Council was "called", but not by him, so I think it's clear that the Fellowship was also assembled under the direction of some other mind.
That said, I would agree that an unmarried status might have been a qualifier.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Alcidas

Merry and Pippin choose to follow Frodo only because they have no wives. If they had not been single, it is likely that they would have chosen to stay back, like Fatty Bolger. In the case of Sam, it is again a question of being chosen, not by Elrond but by Gandalf.

That makes me think that the reason that "gang" formed was because it started from a sort of "bachelors' club". If Merry and/or Pippin were married, they probably wouldn't have hung out with Frodo as much.

[Aganzir]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

That makes me think that the reason that "gang" formed was because it started from a sort of "bachelors' club".

Yeah, look at these dandies:


(x)

[Inziladun]

I think Saruman saw that in the palantir and was thus moved to destroy the Shire.