ahem. by the time of the events told in the lord of the rings the hobbits of the shire had little to no record of their long ago past, the first records of their history beginning only shortly after the founding of the shire. it is evident, however, like many people of middle earth, hobbits had at one point in the distant past undertaken a westward migration, moving from the upper vales of the anduin river down into eriador. no exact reasoning is recorded for the migration, but it could be impart to the multiplying population of "the big people" in the hobbits' old land and the threat of the growing shadow in the forests of mirkwood.
at any rate, it is recognized as fact, that at the time of the westward march, the hobbit populous became divided into three separate clans. the stoors, harfoots and fallohides.
compared to the other two clans of hobbits, the fallohides were taller, slimmer and more fair of skin. they were friendliest with elves and most skilled in language. the fallohides were also the least numerous of the hobbit clans.
after the hobbits' crossing of the mountains and settlement in eriador, the fallohides, being of a more adventurous and bold temperament, mingled with the peoples who had proceeded them in that land and also soon became leaders of the clans of harfoots and stoors.
the tooks and masters of buckland are noted as being the strongest 'modern' chains of fallohides.
after a time, two fallohide brothers were granted permission of the high king of fornost (a portion of arnor, the northern kingdom, realm of the dúnedain) to claim the land between the river baraduin (brandywine) and the far downs, on the condition they kept up the bridge over the river and recognized the authority of the king. thus the shire was founded. after the battle of angmar, wherein the northern kingdom was ended, the hobbits chose from their own chieftains one to act as thain, holding power while the king was gone.
the office originally passed from the oldbucks (bucca of the marish was the first thain, whom from the oldbucks claimed to be descendants) to the took family, and ever since the head of the took family (who was often referred to as 'the took') had been pre-eminent for the role. of the took line, gerontius (the old took) was thain for the longest period of time, an amazing 72 years. isengrim III, due to the old took's extraordinary office, came late to the thainship, and died ten years after becoming the shire-thain, leaving no heir. he was succeeded by his younger brother isumbras IV. like his brother, isumbras came late into the thainship and it was only nine years before the office was again passed on this time to isumbras' son, fortinbras II. fortinbras was thain during bilbo's famous adventure outlined in the hobbit. he was succeeded by his son ferumbras III, who was thain when bilbo threw his infamous 111th birthday party. ferumbras never married and therefore left no heir. the thainship then passed to the line of gerontius' fourth son, hildigrim, or more specifically, paladin took II (pippin's father) hildigrim's grandson. paladin, was a farmer in the town of whitwell before becoming thain. he held the office throughout the war of the ring and is credited for defending the great smials from the ruffians who invaded the shire and refusing to let the took family succumb to their abuse. after paladin, in the year 1434, the office was passed to his youngest child, but eldest son, peregrin took. this was some thirteen years after his return to the shire, making peregrin about 41 or 42 years old. the thainship was held by peregrin, until his old age. at 94 peregrin passed the office to his son faramir I and left with his friend the master of buckland (meriadoc) to go south.
in days of old, the thain was in charge of shire-muster and the shire-moot, two actions which were only called for in times of great emergency, but as the shire lived in relative (perky happy) peace for many years, the thainship became not much more than a nominal dignity.
the took family was well respected through the years as it had remained both large and exceptionally wealthy. it was also quite infamous for producing at least one hobbit of exceedingly peculiar character-traits in every generation. it was often jested some ancestor of the took family had taken a "fairy" wife, because it was true- there was something not compleatly hobbit about them, after all. it was not entirely unheard of for a member of the took family to up and disappear on an adventure. such grievances, were hushed up by the family. these behaviors were merely tolerated in rich families, rather than compleatly put down. some of the more famous peculiar tookish characters include, but are not exclusive to, the old took (gerontius took) and bandobras 'bullroarer' took. bullroarer is famous for his height (an astonishing four foot five inches) which was the unbroken record for several generations, until it was passed by two other famous characters, which you might know as peregrin took and meriadoc brandybuck. needless to say, bandobras was so large he was able to mount and ride a horse and did so when he charged the onslaught of goblins in the battle of green fields. the bullroarer led a host of hobbits into battle defending the shire from invading orcs from the north. bandobras stopped the invasion and succeeded in knocking off the orcs' king's head with a wooden club. he is also credited with inventing golf with this act.
the old took, is best known for the extraordinary age he reached (130 years old), again, this was a record unbeaten until after the war of the ring when bilbo baggins turned 131. he is also noted for his many progeny (though, i think we could halve the credit of this to amanda chubb, his wife) twelve in all (almost as impressive as the 13 head brood of rose and samwise).
peregrin is the great-great grandson of the old took and the great-great-great-great-great nephew of bandobras.
the took family lived primarily in the tookland portion of the shire. it included the towns, whitwell (the town wherein pippin's father farmed), tuckborough and tookbank. tuckborough was the largest town of tookland and there the great smials, a large ancestral (many-tunneled) mansion of the took family, was located. it was always the home of the thain of the shire, but housed many members of the family from several generations as well. the old took himself lived in the great smials, and in his old age he took to staying in one room, which after his death was never touched or lived in again. and such is the family took, and peregrin's family history.

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