We have a long way to go, and there is time ahead for thought.
Though a Tolkien by name, I am a Suffield by tastes, talents, and upbringing
The Suffield Family is an English family to which J.R.R. Tolkien's mother, Mabel Tolkien, belonged.
History
The Suffield Family had its origin in the small town of Evesham, Worcestershire. By the time Tolkien was born, most of the family lived in Birmingham. At some point in time, the Suffields were engravers and plate-makers.[1]
J.R.R. Tolkien
After Arthur Tolkien died in 1896, Mabel Tolkien moved her family to Birmingham where they stayed with family before finding a place of their own and while Mabel was sick with diabetes. The Suffields were devout Anglicans, and when Mabel converted to Catholicism she faced strong resistance from her family. After the death of Mabel Tolkien, her sons lived for a time with their aunt Beatrice Suffield.[1]
Tolkien grew very fond of the Suffields, remarking that while his last name was Tolkien, "I am in fact far more of a Suffield".[2] He was very interested in learning about his family history, and his grandfather, John Suffield was only too happy to oblige. Often his stories were exaggerated or fictional, such as his claims that King William IV had once given the family a coat of arms or that they were related to Lord Suffield.[1]
Family tree
| John Suffield | Emily Sparrow | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| May Suffield | Walter Incledon | Jane Suffield | William Suffield | Beatrice Bartlett | Mabel Tolkien | Arthur Tolkien | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Marjorie Incledon | Mary Incledon | J.R.R. Tolkien | Hilary Tolkien | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Humphrey Carpenter, J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography, "II. 1892-1916: Early years"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 165, (undated, written June 1955)