The family of the descendants of Samwise Gamgee, through his eldest daughter Elanor and her husband Fastred of Greenholm. Fastred became the first Warden of Westmarch, a title handed down to his son Elfstan Fairbairn and his descendants. The family seat was at Undertowers on the Tower Hills, so that the family are often referred to as the 'Fairbairns of the Towers'.
Notes
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By the end of the Third Age, the original three strains of Hobbit-kind were no longer strongly distinct from one another in the Shire, but nonetheless traits associated with them would appear from time to time. One of these was the golden hair of the Fallohides, from whom the Gamgees were in part descended. This tendency to golden hair was increased by Sam's association with Galadriel (by means unknown, though it is speculated that Sam's gift from Galadriel, the fine earth of Lórien, might have played some part). Several of Sam Gamgee's children were noted for their golden hair, including Elanor, the ancestress of the Fairbairns.
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The use of 'fair' in this name is discussed by Tolkien in his notes for translators of The Lord of the Rings. Its main meaning is a broad one, being intended to suggest the Elvish beauty of Elanor and her descendants. However, 'fair' can also mean 'blonde', and that secondary meaning is also intentional, showing that the golden hair of the Fallohides was passed down through the Fairbairn family.
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See also...
Elanor Gamgee, Elfstan Fairbairn, Fastred of Greenholm, Fíriel, Folklands, Gamgee Family, Goodchild Family, Greenholm, Longfather-tree of Master Samwise, Red Book of the Periannath, Rose, Shire-reckoning, The Towers, Undertowers, Warden of Westmarch, [See the full list...]Westmarch of the Shire
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- Updated 30 March 2022
- Updates planned: 1
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