Biography
J.R.R. (John Ronald Reuel) Tolkien was born on January 3rd, 1892 in Bloemfontein, South Africa to English parents Mabel and Arthur Tolkien (moved from England to Africa to begin marry and for a better job: Arthur worked as a bank manager at Lloyd’s Bank in Birmingham, which had a poor salary. So when he was offered at Bank of Africa, he took it and they moved). He loved fairy tales, even as a child (was an observant, detailed child and loved drawing his surroundings). His mother fretted over his health - Tolkien was too thin and frail for the hot weather and sun in Africa. His brother Hilary Arthur Tolkien was born two years later in 1894. One year later, their mother Mabel decided to return with her sons to England because of Ronald's health and to visit relatives. Arthur was too busy with work to join them. In 1896 Arthur died (age 39) from rheumatic fever in South Africa.
Mabel then decided to move to a Birmingham suburb called Sarehole and teach Ronald Latin, French, drawing, and botany, since he loved trees and plants. Ronald and his brother Hilary were transfixed by the old mill near the River Cole - which would later show up in Tolkien’s works. As a child, his reading was off the charts, and he especially liked fairy tales with dragons and goblins. “I desired dragons with a profound desire” (Tolkien). Four years later, in 1900, Ronald started to attend King Edward VI Grammar School. Because of the location of the school (far away from their home in Sarehole) and Ronald’s bad health, they had to move closer to town, to a house on Moseley Street, which was dirty and of poor conditions because they had barely any money. This change was very hard on Ronald. However, at St. Phillips (the school right near their new house - cost less than King Edward’s), Ronald met Father Francis Morgan who was able to help Ronald with extending his literacy and convinced Mabel to put Ronald back in King Edward’s because of how advanced Ronald was.
In 1903, Ronald began studying Greek and Old English. Only a year later, Mabel died of diabetes (only 34 years old). Ronald and Hilary then went to live with Father Morgan, a priest and good friend at the Birmingham Oratory. From 1906 to 1911, Ronald continued to study Old English and began developing his own languages. In 1908, Ronald and Hilary moved to live with their aunt, Mrs. Faulkner in Birmingham as well. In 1909, Ronald met and fell in love with Edith Bratt (his future wife). He failed his Oxford exams on obtaining a grant, and was advised by Father Morgan to focus more on his studies instead of Edith. In 1910, Edith left, and Tolkien focused more on school by taking part in debates and making speeches in Gothic and Old English.
In the summer of 1911, Ronald was an active Tea Club participant. He also entered Exeter College, Oxford (received his B.A. in 1915 and his M.A. in 1919). He was then able to meet up with sweetheart Edith in 1914. The war was declared and Ronald returned to Oxford to finish his degree. In 1915, he is awarded the First Class Honours degree in English Language and Literature. A year later, he married Edith in Warwick and went to war in France, serving for a short time on the Western Front with the Lancashire Fusiliers and becoming second lieutenant in November (returning later to England with shell shock). While recovering from “trench fever” in 1917, he began writing The Book of Lost Tales, which eventually became The Silmarillion (1977 - The Silmarillion laid groundwork for his stories about Middle-earth). His first son, John, was also born.
In 1918, he obtained the status of full lieutenant and moved to Staffordshire. He returned to Oxford after the Armistice, joining the staff of the Oxford English Dictionary and working as a freelance tutor in 1919. A year later, he was appointed Reader in English Language at Leeds University. At that time, he also collaborated with E.V. Gordon on “acclaimed translation” of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (completed and published in 1925). His second son was also born that same year, named Michael. In 1924, Ronald became a professor of English Language at Leeds. His third son, Christopher, was also born. In 1925, Tolkien was appointed as a Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford. A year later, Tolkien met C.S. Lewis (author of The Chronicles of Narnia) and they became fast friends, sharing the same intense enthusiasm for the myths, sagas, and languages of Northern Europe. Both of them attended meetings of “The Coalbiters”, an Oxford club founded by Tolkien, where Icelandic sagas were read aloud.
During the rest of his years at Oxford (20 as Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Ango-Saxon, 14 as Merton Professor of English Language and Literature), Tolkien published several short studies and translations. In 1929, Edith and Tolkien's fourth child, Priscilla, was born. In 1930, Tolkien became one of the founder members of “The Inklings” (from late 1930s to late 1940s. It was a weekly meeting held in Lewis’s sitting room at Magdalen. Works-in-progress were read aloud, discussed, and critiqued by those who attended. Conversation about literature and any other topics were also discussed. Main members - Tolkien, Lewis, and Charles Williams. There were also more irregular members like Nevill Coghill. The basics of the group, as a generalization; all adherents of Christianity and loved story. Lewis urged Tolkien to publish The Hobbit after it was read aloud at an Inkling meeting. A large portion of The Fellowship of the Ring was read to the Inkling group before the group broke apart as well.), and began writing his first version of The Hobbit. Six years later, Tolkien completed The Hobbit and delivered his lecture Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics. In 1937, The Hobbit was published and Tolkien began writing the sequel. In 1939, Tolkien delivered his lecture On Fairy-Stories, and 16 chapters of The Lord of the Rings was written.
Several years later, in 1945, Leaf by Niggle was published and he was elected to be a professor of the English Language and Literature at Oxford. In 1947, a draft of The Lord of the Rings was sent to publishers, and by 1949, was completed and published. The same year, Farmer Giles of Ham was published. In 1951, a new edition of The Hobbit was published. By 1955, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King were all published. In 1959, Tolkien retired from his professorship. However, three years later, he published The Adventures of Tom Bombadil. In 1964, Tree and Leaf was published.
A year later, American editions of The Lord of the Rings were published, and Tolkien became a widely admired cult figure (however, this angered Tolkien, and him and his wife lived quietly in Bournemouth for several years following). A year later, a third edition of The Hobbit was published, and in 1967, Smith of Wootton Major was published as well. In 1968, the Tolkien family moved to Poole, near Bournemouth. Three years later, Edith died on November 29th (age 82) and Tolkien returned to Oxford. He was made an honorary fellow of Merton College and awarded a doctorate of letters. In 1973, Tolkien died on September 2nd at 81 years old.
Mabel then decided to move to a Birmingham suburb called Sarehole and teach Ronald Latin, French, drawing, and botany, since he loved trees and plants. Ronald and his brother Hilary were transfixed by the old mill near the River Cole - which would later show up in Tolkien’s works. As a child, his reading was off the charts, and he especially liked fairy tales with dragons and goblins. “I desired dragons with a profound desire” (Tolkien). Four years later, in 1900, Ronald started to attend King Edward VI Grammar School. Because of the location of the school (far away from their home in Sarehole) and Ronald’s bad health, they had to move closer to town, to a house on Moseley Street, which was dirty and of poor conditions because they had barely any money. This change was very hard on Ronald. However, at St. Phillips (the school right near their new house - cost less than King Edward’s), Ronald met Father Francis Morgan who was able to help Ronald with extending his literacy and convinced Mabel to put Ronald back in King Edward’s because of how advanced Ronald was.
In 1903, Ronald began studying Greek and Old English. Only a year later, Mabel died of diabetes (only 34 years old). Ronald and Hilary then went to live with Father Morgan, a priest and good friend at the Birmingham Oratory. From 1906 to 1911, Ronald continued to study Old English and began developing his own languages. In 1908, Ronald and Hilary moved to live with their aunt, Mrs. Faulkner in Birmingham as well. In 1909, Ronald met and fell in love with Edith Bratt (his future wife). He failed his Oxford exams on obtaining a grant, and was advised by Father Morgan to focus more on his studies instead of Edith. In 1910, Edith left, and Tolkien focused more on school by taking part in debates and making speeches in Gothic and Old English.
In the summer of 1911, Ronald was an active Tea Club participant. He also entered Exeter College, Oxford (received his B.A. in 1915 and his M.A. in 1919). He was then able to meet up with sweetheart Edith in 1914. The war was declared and Ronald returned to Oxford to finish his degree. In 1915, he is awarded the First Class Honours degree in English Language and Literature. A year later, he married Edith in Warwick and went to war in France, serving for a short time on the Western Front with the Lancashire Fusiliers and becoming second lieutenant in November (returning later to England with shell shock). While recovering from “trench fever” in 1917, he began writing The Book of Lost Tales, which eventually became The Silmarillion (1977 - The Silmarillion laid groundwork for his stories about Middle-earth). His first son, John, was also born.
In 1918, he obtained the status of full lieutenant and moved to Staffordshire. He returned to Oxford after the Armistice, joining the staff of the Oxford English Dictionary and working as a freelance tutor in 1919. A year later, he was appointed Reader in English Language at Leeds University. At that time, he also collaborated with E.V. Gordon on “acclaimed translation” of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (completed and published in 1925). His second son was also born that same year, named Michael. In 1924, Ronald became a professor of English Language at Leeds. His third son, Christopher, was also born. In 1925, Tolkien was appointed as a Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford. A year later, Tolkien met C.S. Lewis (author of The Chronicles of Narnia) and they became fast friends, sharing the same intense enthusiasm for the myths, sagas, and languages of Northern Europe. Both of them attended meetings of “The Coalbiters”, an Oxford club founded by Tolkien, where Icelandic sagas were read aloud.
During the rest of his years at Oxford (20 as Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Ango-Saxon, 14 as Merton Professor of English Language and Literature), Tolkien published several short studies and translations. In 1929, Edith and Tolkien's fourth child, Priscilla, was born. In 1930, Tolkien became one of the founder members of “The Inklings” (from late 1930s to late 1940s. It was a weekly meeting held in Lewis’s sitting room at Magdalen. Works-in-progress were read aloud, discussed, and critiqued by those who attended. Conversation about literature and any other topics were also discussed. Main members - Tolkien, Lewis, and Charles Williams. There were also more irregular members like Nevill Coghill. The basics of the group, as a generalization; all adherents of Christianity and loved story. Lewis urged Tolkien to publish The Hobbit after it was read aloud at an Inkling meeting. A large portion of The Fellowship of the Ring was read to the Inkling group before the group broke apart as well.), and began writing his first version of The Hobbit. Six years later, Tolkien completed The Hobbit and delivered his lecture Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics. In 1937, The Hobbit was published and Tolkien began writing the sequel. In 1939, Tolkien delivered his lecture On Fairy-Stories, and 16 chapters of The Lord of the Rings was written.
Several years later, in 1945, Leaf by Niggle was published and he was elected to be a professor of the English Language and Literature at Oxford. In 1947, a draft of The Lord of the Rings was sent to publishers, and by 1949, was completed and published. The same year, Farmer Giles of Ham was published. In 1951, a new edition of The Hobbit was published. By 1955, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King were all published. In 1959, Tolkien retired from his professorship. However, three years later, he published The Adventures of Tom Bombadil. In 1964, Tree and Leaf was published.
A year later, American editions of The Lord of the Rings were published, and Tolkien became a widely admired cult figure (however, this angered Tolkien, and him and his wife lived quietly in Bournemouth for several years following). A year later, a third edition of The Hobbit was published, and in 1967, Smith of Wootton Major was published as well. In 1968, the Tolkien family moved to Poole, near Bournemouth. Three years later, Edith died on November 29th (age 82) and Tolkien returned to Oxford. He was made an honorary fellow of Merton College and awarded a doctorate of letters. In 1973, Tolkien died on September 2nd at 81 years old.