Red Brick in the Shire

[ArnoleIstari]

As we are traversing through the Yondershire, and may be seeing more examples of brick, I wanted to point out something that seems to have been missed. While it is true that red brick was prevalent during the Scouring, we do know that it was used before that. Farmer Maggots farmhouse we are told in A Short Cut to Mushrooms was made of brick.

Given that we know Farmer Maggot is at least an important figure in The Marish, and seeing that many hobbits in Tighfield were wearing very prosperous clothing, perhaps brick was a sign of status and influence? Which might make sense why Lotho (while he was still in charge) was demolishing hobbit holes and putting up brick houses during the Scouring.

 

[Haerangil]

Red usually means high percentage of iron in the minerals used. Where i come from red brickhouses are the traditional houses of the urban workers, especially metal and train workers, while white and black half-timbered houses are the older houses traditionally those of the urban craftsmen and rural workers and farmers.

I am german though, not british!

 

[Flammifer]

"All Hobbits had originally lived in holes in the ground.... In Bilbo's days it was, as a rule, only the richest and poorest Hobbits that maintained the old custom." "The habit of building farm-houses and barns was said to have begun among the inhabitants of the Marish." "There were now many houses of wood, brick, or stone."

The Marish is flat land, with few hills for building smials into. Also, low land, with possibly a high water table, making dug in dwellings difficult. The Marish seems like ideal country for building in brick. Not many trees (mostly agricultural fields). Possibly plenty of clay (low-lying, well watered ground). I don't think that Farmer Maggot's house being built of brick need have any particular significance as far as social status goes.