Merry Brandybuck

Intro Meriadoc was the second youngest child and the third son of Saradoc and Esmeralda. He had four older siblings Espartac (July 2 TA 2874), Mirabelle (August 6 TA 2876), Redaric (September 1 TA 2878), Susannah (October 4 TA 2880) and a younger sister Rubyrose (December 3 TA 2884).. Claiming descent from Gorhendad Oldbuck, he also had Tookish blood through his mother, and also his father's grandmother, Mirabella Took. He was also first cousins with Peregrin Took. With him they wandered in the Marish and were friends of Farmer Maggot. Around T.A. 3000 Merry witnessed a strange scene: he saw Bilbo Baggins becoming invisible in order to avoid a meeting with the Sackville-Bagginses. Startled, he got through the hedge and walked along the field inside, and watched as Bilbo reappeared, and put a glint of gold in his pocket. This made teenage Meriadoc very curious and he even looked into Bilbo's private diary. Merry kept this knowledge private but was always suspicious. He was present with his family at Bilbo's Farewell Party and the next day of Bilbo's disappearance, Frodo had a hard day keeping his things from unwanted Half-Perians who came to loot Bag End, and put Merry to keep an eye on them in order to rest; until the Sackville-Bagginses came to Merry demanding to see Frodo. Later Lobelia left angrily calling Frodo "Brandybuck", which Merry said was a compliment. Since Bilbo's disappearance, he believed that Frodo would soon follow. He shared his secrets with a group of Frodo's friends, namely Samwise Gamgee, Peregrin Took, Fredegar Bolger. Especially after April T.A. 3018 he noticed how Frodo was saying "farewell" to his favourite places, selling Bag End to the Sackville-Bagginses, and secretive talks with Gandalf. All along, Sam Gamgee had been their "chief investigator". He heard Gandalf's instructions to Frodo for his departure, and warned his friends about it. The Conspirators, sought to protect Frodo (and the Ring) without his knowledge.