K. V. Turley on J. R. R. Tolkien and the Birmingham Oratory

"Arriving in Birmingham, England's second city - population in its metropolitan area in excess of 3 million people - I was dismayed to find that the city did not possess a Tourist Information Centre. Not a formal one, at any rate - there is an informal one in the City Library though. It was there I asked for information on the 'Tolkien Trail.'

"The answer I received only increased my dismay: 'Is that in Birmingham?'

"Although Tolkien was born in South Africa, the family hailed from Birmingham. And it was to Birmingham that the 4-year-old Ronald and his younger brother, Hilary, and their mother, Mabel, retreated in 1896 when Tolkien’s father died. Tolkien was to grow to adulthood in England's second city. Eventually, he left Birmingham for the trenches of the Great War, and, later, for Oxford, but it was Birmingham as much as anywhere that shaped him. This much is often remarked upon. What is less well-known is how much a part the Birmingham Oratory, founded by Blessed John Henry Newman in 1849, played in Tolkien's early life."

In a recent commentary, writer K. V. Turley reflected on the effect the Birmingham Oratory played in the life of author J. R. R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.

To access Mr. Turley's complete post, please visit: 

National Catholic Register: Blogs: K. V. Turley: J.R.R. Tolkien and the Birmingham Oratory (3 May 18)