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Dates Started III 1601 (Year 1 by the Shire -reckoning) Location Specifically associated with the Shire (and based on the date of its foundation) Race Hobbits Culture Shire-hobbits Meaning Shire scír , meaning a land granted as a fiefdom Other names Commonly abbreviated to 'S. R.' Indexes: Alphabetical: S Time and Calendars About this entry: Updated 16 June 2015 This entry is complete
The count of years according to the Shire-hobbits Years of the Trees First Age I Second Age II Third Age III Fourth Age IV The system of reckoning dates unique to the Hobbits of the Shire , based on the founding of that land in III 1601 . The Shire-hobbits reckoned this as year 1 . So, years of the Third Age can be converted to Shire-years by subtracting 1600 (e.g. the Downfall of Barad-dûr occurred in III 3019 , but in the Shire this was counted as the year 1419 ). The Shire-folk took no account of the change of Age in III 3021 . While the other peoples of Middle-earth considered this to be the first year of the Fourth Age , in the Shire it was simply 1422 .1 Key Events in the History of the Shire All dates shown here follow the Shire -reckoning. 1 (III 1601 ) The foundation of the Shire . Marcho and Blanco lead many Hobbits from Bree to settle the lands west of Baranduin . c. 30 (III 1630 ) Stoors moving northward from the lands between Tharbad and Dunland enter the Shire and swell its population, settling especially in the Eastfarthing . 379 (III 1979 ) Following the loss of Arvedui , last King of Arthedain (and thus overlord of the Shire-folk ), the Hobbits of the Shire choose a Thain to act in his place. Bucca of the Marish becomes the first of these Shire-thains . 740 (III 2340 ) Gorhendad Oldbuck , a descendant of Bucca , crosses the Brandywine to found Buckland and become its first Master , changing his family name to Brandybuck . His place as Thain of the Shire is taken over by Isumbras Took I , establishing a line of Took Shire-thains that will last to the War of the Ring and beyond. 1158 (III 2758 ) In November a winter sets in that will become known as the Long Winter , lasting until March of the following year. This was a perilous time for the Shire-folk , and it is recorded that they were helped to survive the winter by Gandalf . 1290 (III 2890 ) On 22 September , Bilbo Baggins is born, the only son of Bungo Baggins and Belladonna Took . 1341 (III 2941 ) In the spring, Bilbo Baggins receives a surprising visit by Gandalf the Wizard and a party of thirteen Dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield . Thus begins the Quest of Erebor , on which Bilbo disappears from the Shire and does not return until the following year. 1368 (III 2968 ) Frodo Baggins , later to become heir to Bilbo Baggins and Ring-bearer , is born in the Shire . 1401 (III 3001 ) 22 September Bilbo Baggins holds his 111th Birthday Party (also marking Frodo's 33rd birthday) in the Party Field beneath Bag End . After a memorable Speech , he vanishes and departs from the Shire . 1418 (III 3018 ) 23 September Frodo Baggins sets out from Bag End with the Ring , accompanied by Sam Gamgee and Peregrin Took , beginning the journey that will lead him to Mount Doom in Mordor . 1419 (III 3019 ) Late in this year, Saruman arrives in the Shire in the guise of 'Sharkey ' and takes up its rule personally. On 30 October , Frodo and his companions return to the Shire and begin to raise the Shire-folk . On 3 November Saruman is murdered by his servant Gríma , bringing the War of the Ring to a close. 1420 (III 3020 ) This was the so-called Great Year of Plenty in the Shire . After the fall of Saruman , Sam Gamgee uses the gift given him by Galadriel to spread the grey earth of Lórien around the Shire , and he plants a silver nut in the Party Field . During the spring and summer of 1420 , there is a great growth throughout the Shire : a mallorn Party Tree had stood, and harvests are extraordinarily plentiful. 1421 (III 3021 ) In the autumn of this year, the White Ship sails from the Grey Havens bearing the Three Keepers away from Middle-earth , accompanied by Bilbo and Frodo Baggins . This year is accounted the last of the Third Age , but while the calendars of Men restart their year count for the Fourth Age , the Shire -reckoning continues an unbroken count of years. 1452 (IV 31 ) By royal decree, the Shire is expanded in this year to include the lands to its west, as far as the Tower Hills . This new region becomes known as Westmarch , and its Wardens the Fairbairns are descendants of Samwise Gamgee . 1541 (IV 120 ) The year of the death of King Aragorn Elessar , and of the departure of Legolas (and apparently also Gimli ) from Middle-earth . Though not directly relevant to the Shire in itself, this date is significant as being the last annal we have using the notation of the Shire -reckoning. Notes 1 Somewhat confusingly, there are two possible systems for converting Shire years into years of the Fourth Age . According to an alternative approach, the first year of the Fourth Age would be 1421 by the Shire -reckoning, rather than 1422 . For more on this topic, see the section Converting Fourth Age Dates in the entry for the Fourth Age . See also... Amethyst Hornblower , Baggins Family , Balbo Baggins , Berylla Boffin , Bingo Baggins , Brandybuck Family , Buffo Boffin , Chronology of the Westlands , Cora Goodbody , Cottar , Daisy Gamgee , Deputy Mayor , Diggle Family , Dina Diggle , Dodinas Brandybuck , [See the full list...]Eastfarthing of the Shire , Elfstan Fairbairn , Esmeralda Took , Estella Bolger , First Shirriff , Folco Boffin , Fourth Age , Free Fair , Free Land , Frodo Gardner , Gamgee Family , Gammidge Family , Goodenough Family , Great Year of Plenty , Greenfields , Gruffo Boffin , Gundolpho Bolger , Halfred Gamgee , Hamfast Gamgee , Harding of the Hill , Heribald Bolger , High Hay , Hildifons Took , Hobbiton Hill , Holfast Gardner , Isembold Took , Isumbras Took I , Ivy Goodenough , Jago Boffin , Largo Baggins , Laura Grubb , Lobelia Sackville-Baggins (née Bracegirdle) , Longbottom , Longfather-tree of Master Samwise , Lotho Sackville-Baggins , Marmadas Brandybuck , Master of Buckland , May Gamgee , Mayor of Michel Delving , Mungo Baggins , Nora Bolger , Old Gamgee , Old Will , Pearl Took , Ponto Baggins , Ponto Baggins , Posco Baggins , Postmaster , Primrose Gamgee , Robin Gamgee , Roper Gamgee , Rose Gamgee , Ruby Gamgee , Rudolph Bolger , Shire Calendar , Shire-muster , Sigismond Took , Southern Star , Southlinch , Thain of the Shire , The Fat , The Guardians , The Smials , Tolman ‘Tom’ Gamgee , Tosto Boffin , Vigo Boffin , Westmarch of the Shire , Wiseman Gamwich Indexes: Alphabetical: S Time and Calendars About this entry: Updated 16 June 2015 This entry is complete For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page. 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