Brandybuck

The Brandybuck clan was a powerful Hobbit family. They were mostly of Stoorish blood, but with a Fallohide strain.

The family began as the Oldbuck clan, who named themselves such apparently after a Bucca of the Marish, who became the first Thain of the Shire. Ten Oldbuck Thains followed, until Gordenhad Oldbuck, the eleventh Thain, crossed into Buckland over the river Brandywine, passing the Thainship to the Took clan.

Gordenhad renamed himself Brandybuck, and began delving the great smials of Brandy Hall. Around the hill was built the village of Bucklebury.

The Brandybucks formed a powerful dynasty which became mostly independent of the Shire, although Buckland remained nominally a part of it. They were seen as 'odd folk' by the other Hobbits of the Shire because they locked their doors at night (because of the exposure to the Old Forest).

Masters of Buckland
The head of the family was the Master of Buckland, one of the officials of the Shire. This office was founded by Gordenhad Brandybuck. Like the Thain and Warden of Westmarch, the Master had only nominal authority. The authority of the Master also extended across the Brandywine into the Marish of the Eastfarthing, due to the close proximity and the amount of business between the two areas.

"Brandybuck" as a translation
It should be noted that the name Brandybuck is only a translation of the original Westron Brandagamba, Marchbuck. In keeping with the conceit that The Lord of the Rings was derived from the translated Red Book of Westmarch, Tolkien translated all its Westron words into English — including the names of characters. See Westron for more information.

List of Brandybucks

 * Bucca of the Marish
 * Gorhendad Brandybuck
 * Gormadoc Brandybuck
 * Melilot Brandybuck
 * Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck
 * Primula Brandybuck