Tolkien family

”’Arthur Reuel Tolkien”’ (c. 18 February 1857 – 15 February 1896), the father of author [[J. R. R. Tolkien]], was born in [[Handsworth, West Midlands|Handsworth]], [[Staffordshire]], England (now a suburb of Birmingham). He was the eldest child of John Benjamin Tolkien and Mary Jane Stow,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://members.cox.net/ghgraham/arthurreueltolkien.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070516212038/http://members.cox.net/ghgraham/arthurreueltolkien.html |archive-date=16 May 2007 |access-date=16 December 2014 |title=Arthur Reuel Tolkien |work=The Thompsons, Shipbuilders of Sunderland Genealogy |first=George H. |last=Graham}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Drout|2006|loc=[https://books.google.com/books?id=by0dzzQ6m8sC&pg=PA662&lpg=PA662&focus=viewport&dq=priscilla+tolkien+social+worker&hl=de&output=html_text p. 662]}}</ref> who had married on 16 February 1856 in All Saints Parish Church, [[Birmingham]], [[Warwickshire]], England.

”’Arthur Reuel Tolkien”’ (c. 18 February 1857 – 15 February 1896), the father of author [[J. R. R. Tolkien]], was born in [[Handsworth, West Midlands|Handsworth]], [[Staffordshire]], England (now a suburb of Birmingham). He was the eldest child of John Benjamin Tolkien and Mary Jane Stow,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://members.cox.net/ghgraham/arthurreueltolkien.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070516212038/http://members.cox.net/ghgraham/arthurreueltolkien.html |archive-date=16 May 2007 |access-date=16 December 2014 |title=Arthur Reuel Tolkien |work=The Thompsons, Shipbuilders of Sunderland Genealogy |first=George H. |last=Graham}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Drout|2006|loc=[https://books.google.com/books?id=by0dzzQ6m8sC&pg=PA662&lpg=PA662&focus=viewport&dq=priscilla+tolkien+social+worker&hl=de&output=html_text p. 662]}}</ref> who had married on 16 February 1856 in All Saints Parish Church, [[Birmingham]], [[Warwickshire]], England.

Arthur’s father had previously been married to Jane Holmwood, with whom he had four children: Emily (b. 1838), Louisa (b. 1840), John Benjamin (b. 1845), and Jane (b. 1846).

Arthur’s father had previously been married to Jane Holmwood, with whom he had four children: Emily (b. 1838), Louisa (b. 1840), John Benjamin (b. 1845), and Jane (b. 1846). His father had been a piano teacher and [[Piano tuning|tuner]], as well as a music seller, but he had gone [[Bankruptcy|bankrupt]] in 1877, when he was described as “John Benjamin Tolkien, of High-street, Birmingham, in the county of Warwick, Pianoforte and Music Seller”.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=24508 |date=2 October 1877 |page=5498 }}</ref>

John Benjamin{{who|date=December 2021}} Tolkien had been a piano teacher and [[Piano tuning|tuner]], as well as a music seller, but he had gone [[Bankruptcy|bankrupt]] in 1877, when he was described as “John Benjamin Tolkien, of High-street, Birmingham, in the county of Warwick, Pianoforte and Music Seller”.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=24508 |date=2 October 1877 |page=5498 }}</ref> Arthur did not follow his father into the traditional Tolkien trade in pianos, which many of his [[London]] cousins also followed; instead he became a bank clerk and ended up moving to [[Bloemfontein]] in the [[Orange Free State]] (now part of [[South Africa]]), where he became manager of the Bloemfontein branch of the Bank of Africa.<ref>[http://www.southafrica.net/index.cfm?sitep.ID=14687 Welcome to South Africa]</ref> A furniture shop<ref name=hobbits>[http://www.dispatch.co.za/2001/12/21/entertainment/HOBBITS.HTM hobbits] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060109094128/http://www.dispatch.co.za/2001/12/21/entertainment/HOBBITS.HTM |date=9 January 2006 }}</ref> now occupies the Bradlow’s Building on the site where the bank once stood, on the corner of West Burger and Maitland Streets.

Arthur did not follow his father into the traditional Tolkien trade in pianos, which many of his [[London]] cousins also followed; instead he became a bank clerk and ended up moving to [[Bloemfontein]] in the [[Orange Free State]] (now part of [[South Africa]]), where he became manager of the Bloemfontein branch of the Bank of Africa.<ref>[http://www.southafrica.net/index.cfm?sitep.ID=14687 Welcome to South Africa]</ref> A furniture shop<ref name=hobbits>[http://www.dispatch.co.za/2001/12/21/entertainment/HOBBITS.HTM hobbits] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060109094128/http://www.dispatch.co.za/2001/12/21/entertainment/HOBBITS.HTM |date=9 January 2006 }}</ref> now occupies the Bradlow’s Building on the site where the bank once stood, on the corner of West Burger and Maitland Streets.

Arthur was later joined by his [[fiancée]], Mabel Suffield. They were married on 16 April 1891 at the [[St. George’s Cathedral, Cape Town]], [[Cape Colony]] (later [[Cape Province]], South Africa). Two children: John Ronald Reuel (b. 1892) and Hilary Arthur Reuel (b. 1894) followed, and the family lived next door to the bank.

Arthur was later joined by his [[fiancée]], Mabel Suffield. They were married on 16 April 1891 at the [[St. George’s Cathedral, Cape Town]], [[Cape Colony]] (later [[Cape Province]], South Africa). Two children: John Ronald Reuel (b. 1892) and Hilary Arthur Reuel (b. 1894) followed, and the family lived next door to the bank.