wtorek, 21 stycznia 2020

Concerning Reuel (part 2)

See "Concerning Reuel (part 1)"

In his letter from 1969 J. R. R. Tolkien wrote (cf. Letters, no. 309 to Amy Ronald, 2 January 1969):
Of course there is always Reuel. This was (I believe) the surname of a friend of my grandfather. The family believed it to be French (which is formally possible); but if so it is an odd chance that it appears twice in the O[ld] T[estament] as an unexplained other name for Jethro Moses' father-in-law. All my children, and my children's children, and their children, have the name. 
As you remember from my previous posts, J. R. R. Tolkien's grandfather was born in Pentonville, London and his Evangelical chapel during his childhood was Pentonville Chapel (read more about the Tolkiens from Pentonville who were the Pentonville-Tolkiens like the Sackville-Bagginses here and here). His father George lived there (77 White Lion Street, Pentonville) up to circa 1822 and then he moved with his wife and his children to 4 High Street, Islington. But still their chapel was Pentonville Chapel. It is described in The Evangelical Register from 1838 (see here): 




The Pentonville Chapel was an Evangelical place of worship of the first Tolkiens from J. R. R. Tolkien's line. The Professor's great-great-grandfather, Johannes (John) Benjamin Tolkien (born in Danzig/Gdańsk in 1752) attended to the services there (he can be found on the lists of the members of that community) and this place was connected with early Calvinistic Methodist movement of Lady of Huntingdon Connexion (read about it here). This movement is mentioned above in the footnote.

As you can see, 
"the present [1838] Minister is the Rev. D. Ruell, M. A. (...)"
Rev. David Ruell is in my opinion this whose surname became the second name of Arthur Reuel Tolkien and of all his descendants! The Professor's grandfather gave surnames of his most favourite pastors to the children in his second family (read about it here). For instance the Professor's uncle, who paid for his education after Mabel's death, Lawrence George Hammond Tolkien (1873-1939) had his third name Hammond probably after Rev. John Hammond from the Congregational Union Chapel in Handsworth:
"In Handsworth is a large Independent Chapel, which is called the Union Chapel, and was erected in 1788, but was improved and enlarged in 1818 and 1850. The Rev John Hammond is its minister, and attached to it is a burial ground."
In my opinion it is more than probable that Reuel in the Tolkien family comes from the first pastor of George Tolkien and his son, John Benjamin Tolkien. Ruell in English is the same as Reuel; see here:


I have found many interesting information about Rev. Daniel Ruell. He lived in the years 1783-1846. He was born in Wales, in Llandewi, Ystradenny, in Co. Radnor, as a son of James Ruell. In London his address was Owen's Row, Islington near 145 St John Street where the Tolkiens produced their clocks and watches (see "Tolkien & Dancer, Toolmakers" (c. 1807), "George Tolkien, Ironmonger/Toolmaker" (1808–1810), "George Tolkien, Clock and Watchmaker" (1809–1811) - here). He studied at the Oxford University (St. Edmund Hall from 1807, B. A. 1811, M. A. 1814):


His last address was Gainford Place, White Conduit Fields, Islington. And he was buried in Pentonville Chapel. I am in the possession of his last will, where he wrote that his body shall be "interred in the vault under Pentonville Chapel in which place of worship I have laboured as Minister during the last thirty five years". His goods were inherited by his sister, a widow Mary Fairbairn (a Hobbit surname!). The same Rev. David Ruell of Pentonville subscribed a guinea towards a book called A Brief Account of the Rise, Progress and Present State of the Most Honorable and Loyal Society of Ancient Britons (a fundraiser) in 1825, along with a whole load of other London Welshmen. According to another book of 1848, Rev. David Ruell was Chaplain of the New Prison, Clerkenwell. The Rev. David Ruell, M.A. also appears in notices of marriages, officiating at St. James's, Clerkenwell.

On Google Books you will find many sermons and texts by him and on him. At the moment I am looking for the picture of Rev. Daniel Ruell, the pastor of the London Tolkiens.

3 komentarze:

  1. The entry above gives his name as David, not Daniel. A David Ruell of Pentonville subscribed a guinea towards a book called 'A Brief Account of the Rise, Progress and Present State of the Most Honorable and Loyal Society of Ancient Britons' (a fundraiser) in 1825, along with a whole load of other London Welshmen. According to another book of 1848, Rev. David Ruell was Chaplain of the New Prison, Clerkenwell. The Rev. David Ruell, M.A. also appears in notices of marriages, officiating at St. James's, Clerkenwell. Should we take it that Rev. D. Ruell was this David Ruell?

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  2. My mistake. I have alredy corrected it thanks to you. Yes, I have meant David (a Welsh name, isn't it?). This is the same person as Rev. David Ruell from New Prison, St James's church etc.

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  3. Can you show me an example of Rev. D. Ruell in notices of marriages?

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