Why Were The Bagginses Rich?

[Wolfshead]

This hobbit was a very well-to-do hobbit, and his name was Baggins. The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable, not only because most of them were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected: you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him.

We never do learn what Bilbo's ancestors did to make money, do we? Maybe they owned farms, were landlords, carried out dubious business transactions with Dwarves? Does anyone know?

 

[Maeglin]

I have no clue, maybe they were just some of the first Hobbits in the Shire so they got the best of everything, ya know like first picks on their land, etc., sort of like a first come first serve basis I guess.

 

[Calimehtar]

Well... Bilbo was related to the Tooks, his mother was a Took, and they were supposedly very outlandish and adventurous. So I figure that they did like Bilbo and went out and found gold and everything like that.

 

[Wolfshead]

Ah, right. I have read that chapter, but not the whole of it for a while. I think I'll have to back and read it again. Thanks.

 

[Mrs. Maggott]

Bilbo apparently inherited his wealth (as, of course, did Frodo), but even more interesting is the question why neither of these well-to-do and obviously "good catches" (especially Bilbo before his adventure), were not married! It would seem that the married state was the normal one for hobbits in general, especially hobbits who could afford a nice hole and all the comforts thereof.

In this instance, Frodo is the more understandable of the two, living as he did with his "peculiar" uncle and somewhat suffering socially because of that fact, but why Bilbo had not married by age 50 might be an interesting tale. Perhaps it is covered in one of the many writings that have been released since the original book but I have not heard.