Bilbo's income.

[Halstein]

Hi.
Bilbo seems to be well off even before he went on his adventure. But what was his income? He does not seem to be occupied in a craft or in farming. Did he live of land-rent payed by farmers, for cultivating his land?

Tolkien's economics seems to be a bit nebulous.

 

[Halstein]

Have just started watching episode 2, where this is answered. The admin can feel free to delete this thread.

 

[Merrydey]

It occurred to me that Bilbo's mother is one of three daughters of the Old Took. Frodo's grandmother was another. The Tooks own a lot of land. It would be likely that the Old Took left some of that land to his daughters (perhaps as dowries) and it would continue to produce income. This was commonly done in England I believe, making the Bagginses absentee landlords of a sort. Just because Tolkien was not interested in economics, he wouldn't tell us about their management activities.

 

[Haerangil]

It was even briefly mentioned that on and off people did borrow money from Bilbo, though it didn't say if Bilbo took an interest.But yes, he owns land, he owns coins too, he doesn't have to do his gardens on his own, the Gamgees work for him.He is lower gentry, a gentle-hobbit as they call it.