Travellers

During the War of the Ring, the Shire fell under the sway of Lotho Sackville-Baggins, the self-styled Chief, and latterly under the oppressive rule of Saruman in his guise as 'Sharkey'. It was into these miserable circumstances that, on 30 October III 3019, four Hobbits returned to the Shire.

These four were Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took, who had vanished from Buckland more than a year earlier. Rumour among the Hobbits said that they had been lost in the Old Forest on the Shire's borders, but in fact they had travelled into the lands far south of the Shire on the Quest of Mount Doom, and now returned armed and dressed in fine gear. Over the following days they quickly raised the Shire-hobbits and put an end to Sharkey's régime.

After this time the four became collectively known as 'the Travellers' throughout the Shire. Merry and Pippin settled for a time at Crickhollow, and continued to travel the Shire dressed in their southern finery. Meanwhile Frodo and Sam returned to a more sedate life at Bag End, until Frodo left the Shire, and Middle-earth, two years later. Ultimately the remaining three Travellers would also leave the Shire, although not until many decades had passed. Sam Gamgee passed over the Sea himself in IV 61, and in IV 63 Merry and Pippin set out together for the southern lands, never to return.