1920

17 March 1920

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J.R.R. Tolkien to Miss Duncan

#47

A two page letter sent from 1 Alfred Street, St. Giles, Oxford, 17 March 1920, to Miss Duncan, enclosing a "mixed bag" of 50 possible examination questi...

1923

14 December 1923

E. V. Gordon to Kenneth Sisam

#1626

Gordon sends to Sisam a clean copy of the Sir Gawain text and notes that Tolkien has been able to purchase a copy of Thorkelin's Beowulf.

1925

Unknown

Dr. Cyril Jackson to Unknown

#869

From a Bloomsbury auction the following was detailed: Songs for the Philologists, with the book comes a typed letter from Dr. Cyril Jackson, who studied...

1926

?26 April 1926

J.R.R. Tolkien to Kenneth Sisam

#1013

Tolkien writes to Kenneth Sisam with news that he has finished his modern prose translation of Beowulf. Much of the letter remains unpublished but a por...

1931

22 November 1931

C.S. Lewis to Warren H. Lewis

#1742

Writing to his brother, C. S. Lewis gives updates on his life and work. he makes a brief mention to Tolkien visiting him on Monday mornings to "drink a ...

1932

25 October 1932

J.R.R. Tolkien to Robert Chapman

#1701

Tolkien writes to Robert Chapman saying that he must finish the Clarendon Chaucer or else he will lose his good will with the Clarendon Press. Tolkien s...

27 October 1932

Robert Chapman to J.R.R. Tolkien

#1754

Writing to Tolkien, Chapman offers to help with typing and urges Tolkien to get the Clarendon Chaucer off his mind. He believes that a Beowulf edition, ...

18 December 1932

J.R.R. Tolkien to Kenneth Sisam

#1768

Writing to Kenneth Sisam, Tolkien informs him that Sigelwara Land will be published over three volumes of Medium Ævum. He thanks Sisam, likely for the ...

1934

9 December 1934

R.W. Chambers to J.R.R. Tolkien

#1015

Little is known of this letter to Tolkien from his friend and supporter R.W. (Raymond Wilson) Chambers but a fragment found in The Fall of Arthur is of ...

1936

?Early 1936 (?sometime between January and April)

George Allen & Unwin to J.R.R. Tolkien

#1805

Tolkien is asked by GA&U if he wishes to working on a revision to John R. Clark Hall's Modern English transaltion of Beowulf and The Fight at Finnesburg...

?Early 1936 (?sometime between January and April)

J.R.R. Tolkien to George Allen & Unwin

#1806

Tolkien replies to the early 1936 letter from GA&U that is is too busy to work on a new Beowulf publication but suggests Elaine Griffiths for the task a...

30 March 1936

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C.A. Furth (GA&U) to J.R.R. Tolkien

#1809

C. A. Furth writes to Tolkien on the matter of the Clark-Hall edition of Beowulf. GA&U are keen for Tolkien to edit a new edition, or suggest a likely c...

25 September 1936

Simonne d'Ardenne to J.R.R. Tolkien

#1829

Simonne d'Ardenne writes to Tolkien to say that once she has finished her latest article, on the Brussels Cross, she will send it on to him to read. She...

2 December 1936

Stanley Unwin to J.R.R. Tolkien

#1839

Stanley Unwin sends to Tolkien the contract duplicate. This is noted by Hammond/Scull as the final step for accepting the Hobbit for publication and on ...

1937

2 February 1937

R. W. Chambers to J.R.R. Tolkien

#1159

Chambers writing to Tolkien tells him that he must not "delete a single word from" his Beowulf lecture. The letter from Chambers is found in Oxford, Bod...

7 April 1937

Oxford University Press to J.R.R. Tolkien

#1868

Oxford University Press provide Tolkien with proofs for his essay Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics. Tolkien delivered the lecture on 25 November 19...

2 June 1937

R. W. Chambers to J.R.R. Tolkien

#1160

Chmabers writes telling Tolkien that he is relieved that the Beowulf lecture retained all the text Tolkien had shown him. This followed a letter from Fe...

1 July 1937

R.W. Chambers to J.R.R. Tolkien

#1932

R. W. Chambers writes to Tolkien on the publication of his Sir Israel Gollancz Memorial Lecture, Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics to offer his cong...

1 July 1937

Allen Mawer to J.R.R. Tolkien

#1933

Allen Mawer writes to Tolkien on the publication of his Sir Israel Gollancz Memorial Lecture, Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics to offer his congrat...

4 July 1937

David Nichol Smith to J.R.R. Tolkien

#1934

David Nichol Smith writes to Tolkien on the publication of his Sir Israel Gollancz Memorial Lecture, Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics to offer his ...

5 July 1937

F.E. Harmer to J.R.R. Tolkien

#1935

F. E. Harmer writes to Tolkien on the publication of his Sir Israel Gollancz Memorial Lecture, Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics to offer his congra...

8 July 1937

George S. Gordon to J.R.R. Tolkien

#1936

George S. Gordon writes to Tolkien on the publication of his Sir Israel Gollancz Memorial Lecture, Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics to offer his co...

29 July 1937

F. Molina to J.R.R. Tolkien

#1937

F. Molina writes to Tolkien on the publication of his Sir Israel Gollancz Memorial Lecture, Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics to offer his congratul...

3 August 1937

Oliver Elton to J.R.R. Tolkien

#1938

Oliver Elton writes to Tolkien on the publication of his Sir Israel Gollancz Memorial Lecture, Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics to offer his congra...

13 August 1937

J.R.R. Tolkien to Stanley Unwin

#1967

Writing to Stanley Unwin, Tolkien hopes that they can lunch together when he visits London next, most likely in November. He has not as yet had time to ...

17 September 1937

J.R.R. Tolkien to C.A. Furth

#1333

Tolkien writes to C.A. Furth of GA&U. He needs five outstanding author's copies and seven copies for giving to a few people who cannot buy a of The Hobb...

14 December 1937

R. W. Chambers to J.R.R. Tolkien

#1161

Further to his earlier letters to Tolkien Chambers had recently finished writing a review (see reference below) of Tolkien's Beowulf: The Monsters and t...

1938

18 January 1938

G.H. White to J.R.R. Tolkien

#2024

A reader had written to the Observer newspaper asking various questions on The Hobbit and Beowulf. White sends a clipping of that letter to Tolkien and ...

20 February 1938*

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J.R.R. Tolkien to Editor of the Observer

#28

 Carpenter #25

Tolkien responds to a request, likely from a researcher or enthusiast, regarding the origins and inspirations behind his work, particularly The Hobbit. ...

1 June 1938

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Stanley Unwin to J.R.R. Tolkien

#1991

Stanley Unwin writes that Houghton Mifflin (the American publisher) reports having sold approximately 3000 copies of The Hobbit, and will re-announce it...

June 4th 1938

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J.R.R. Tolkien to Stanley Unwin

#32

 Carpenter #28

Tolkien thanks Stanley Unwin for the excellent news from America, where The Hobbit is selling well and it has won a prize of $250. Rayner's review of th...

31 August 1938

J.R.R. Tolkien to C.A. Furth

#37

 Carpenter #33

Tolkien writes to Mr. Furth, expressing his current state of being oppressed and unwell due to recent troubles. He submits Farmer Giles for consideratio...

1939

15 September 1939

J.R.R. Tolkien to Phillip Unwin

#1376

 Carpenter #36b

Tolkien updates Phillip Unwin on the current situation at universities given the news of war with Germany. He says there will be a reduced demand, but s...

19 December 1939

J.R.R. Tolkien to Stanley Unwin

#52

 Carpenter #37

Tolkien, writing to Stanley Unwin, expresses gratitude for the kind note and apologizes for his neglectful correspondence due to personal and health iss...

1940

30 March 1940

J.R.R. Tolkien to Stanley Unwin

#53

 Carpenter #38

Tolkien apologizes for his previous behavior and explains that he misunderstood the nature of the requested contribution for the book Beowulf. He expres...

1944

4 December 1944

J.R.R. Tolkien to Christopher Tolkien

#1402

 Carpenter #91b

Tolkien opens with the news that he has finished his Beowulf lectures . He has neglected academic matters in favour of working out the time-schemes and ...

1945

17 February 1945

J.R.R. Tolkien to Christopher Tolkien

#1407

 Carpenter #97a

Tolkien says that he is finding lectures hard work, and that he is tired. He is surprised that he does not have written notes for Beowulf beyond approx....

1951

9 May 1951

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J.R.R. Tolkien to Henry Bosley Woolf

#40

Touching on poems about dragons, Beowulf, and fellow Inkling C. S. Lewis. This letter to Prof. Henry Bosley Woolf thanks him for sending a copy of a pap...

1963

18 April - 6 May 1963

J.R.R. Tolkien to Mr. and Mrs. Kloos

#523

In this letter, a reply to the Kloos's letter from March, Tolkien writes about his inspirations for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. It was started...

23 May 1963

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J.R.R. Tolkien to Bruce Mitchell

#814

Tolkien discusses Beowulf, The short extract above comes from Kevin Crossley-Holland's 1968 translation of Beowulf. See ( Longer extracts were published...

1964

7 August 1964

J.R.R. Tolkien to Anne Barrett (Houghton Mifflin)

#633

 Carpenter #259

Tolkien discusses Charles Williams and then explains why Tree and Leaf is called Tree and Leaf.

1966

29 July 1966

J.R.R. Tolkien to Michael George Tolkien

#662

 Carpenter #289

Tolkien discusses the etymology of Mirkwood. Brief quotes from this letter included in Chronology show that he also talked about the typewriters he uses...

1967

5 January 1967

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J.R.R. Tolkien to Joy Hill

#740

Joy has sent Tolkien a copy of The Children's Treasury of Literature, which includes a chapter from The Hobbit.