Tolkien and Leeds

Tolkien's time in Leeds is coming to an end

Portrait of Tolkien from the 1930's

 

In 1925 there were many significant events in the life of the Tolkien family and since the start of the last term at the university there had been developments in Tolkien's academic and creative life.

In November 1924 the Tolkien family welcomed the arrival of Christopher Reuel Tolkien, born at home at 2 Darnley Road. The new addition to the family would brought great joy to John Ronald and Edith as their lot in Leeds was on the up.

Tolkien had been appointed Professor of English at the University of Leeds and their life in West Park (then on the outskirts of north Leeds) was suiting the family on both the domestic and academic fronts.

Tolkien and E.V. Gordon were well into thier collaboration on a new version of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Tolkien's glossary was being reviewed and was published in April 1925.

At the end of April the Tolkien family had a holiday on the east coast near the seaside town of Filey, where Micheal (Tolkien's second son) lost a treasured toy, a model of a little dog called Rover.

In June 1925 W.A. Craigie left the Rawlinson and Bosworth Professorship of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford and by the end of June Tolkien had submitted his formal application. This was well received in the city of dreaming spires and by the end of July his successful election was announced in The Times. This announcement and the change of Tolkien's academic position was delayed by six months, the notice period to the University of Leeds.

Tolkien and his family move Oxford in early 1926 and Tolkien's last connection to Leeds is in April of the same year.

 

This is the end of the Tolkiens' time in Leeds