Francis Xavier Morgan: Difference between revisions

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'''Father Francis Xavier Morgan''' ([[18 January|January 18]], 1857 - [[11 June|June 11]], [[1935]]) was a Roman Catholic priest at the [[Birmingham Oratory]] in [[Birmingham]]. He was half Welsh and half Anglo-Spanish.
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[[File:Father Francis.jpg|right|200px]]
'''Father Francis Xavier Morgan''' ([[18 January|January 18]], [[1857]] - [[11 June|June 11]], [[1935]]) was a Roman Catholic priest at the [[Birmingham Oratory]] in [[Birmingham]]. He was half Welsh and half Anglo-Spanish.


He took care of [[Mabel Suffield|Mabel Tolkien]] during her illness, and took over custody of [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Ronald]] and [[Hilary Tolkien]] after her death. Father Francis was a [[J.R.R._Tolkien's_inspirations#pipe-smoking|pipe-smoker]] and Tolkien derived his own custom from this.
He took care of [[Mabel Suffield|Mabel Tolkien]] during her illness, and took over custody of [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Ronald]] and [[Hilary Tolkien]] after her death. Father Francis was a [[J.R.R._Tolkien's_inspirations#pipe-smoking|pipe-smoker]] and Tolkien derived his own custom from this.
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Father Francis Xavier Morgan, forbade Tolkien to see [[Edith Tolkien|Edith Bratt]] until he was twenty-one because he saw her as a distraction from his studies. With one exception, Tolkien obeyed this instruction to the letter while Father Morgan's guardianship lasted.  
Father Francis Xavier Morgan, forbade Tolkien to see [[Edith Tolkien|Edith Bratt]] until he was twenty-one because he saw her as a distraction from his studies. With one exception, Tolkien obeyed this instruction to the letter while Father Morgan's guardianship lasted.  


Tolkien named his first son, [[John Tolkien|John Francis Reuel]] after him.<ref>{{HM|Bio}}</ref>
Tolkien named his first son, [[John Tolkien|John Francis Reuel]] after him.<ref>{{B|III}}, p. 97</ref>


In 2013, [[José Manuel Ferrández Bru]] published ''[[La Conexion Española de J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', a Spanish-language biography about Francis Xavier Morgan.<ref>{{webcite|author="juanito panchacoco"|articleurl=http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mythsoc/message/24179|articlename=A biography of Fr. Francis is published (#24179)|dated=25 March 2013|website=[http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mythsoc/ Mythsoc mailing list]|accessed=25 March 2013}}</ref>
In 2013, [[José Manuel Ferrández Bru]] published ''[[La Conexion Española de J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', a Spanish-language biography about Francis Xavier Morgan.<ref name=bru>{{webcite|author=José Manuel Ferrández Bru|articleurl=http://www.josemanuelferrandez.com/unclecurro/index.html|articlename=J.R.R. Tolkien's Spanish Connection|website=[http://www.josemanuelferrandez.com/ENindex.html Author's website]|accessed=20 May 2020}}</ref> The book was later translated into English.<ref>{{webcite|author=|articleurl=http://www.lunapresspublishing.com/product-page/uncle-curro-j-r-r-tolkien-s-spanish-connection|articlename="Uncle Curro". J.R.R. Tolkien's Spanish Connection|dated=|website=[http://www.lunapresspublishing.com Luna Press Publishing]|accessed=20 May 2020}}</ref>
 
==In Tolkien's works==
In the ''[[Gnomish Lexicon]]'', Tolkien translates the name "Francis" into [[Gnomish]]: ''Faidron'' or ''Faithron''. These names are clearly related with other words of the same lexicon: ''fair'' ("free, unconstrained"), ''faidwen/faith'' ("liberty"), ''faithir'' ("liberator, Saviour").<ref>{{PE|13}}, p. 33</ref> The translation is based on etymology as the name [[Wikipedia:Francis (given name)#Derivation|Francis]] (from Italian Francesco) derives from the [[Wikipedia:Franks#Etymology|Franks]], who in turn gave the word [[Wiktionary:frank|frank]] ("free of servitude; candid, outspoken, unreserved").<ref>[[Wikipedia:Name_of_the_Franks#Name_and_etymology|Etymology of the name "Franks"]]</ref> Ferrández Bru considered that Tolkien honored Father Francis this way.
 
Ferrández Bru suggests that [[Thingol]] was partly inspired from Father Francis, considering his opposition to the courtship of [[Beren]] to [[Luthien]]; with whom Tolkien identified himself and Edith.{{fact}}


==See also==
==See also==
*[[Father Francis Morgan 8 August 1904]] (letter)
*[[Letter to Father Francis Morgan]] (letter)
 
==External links==
==External links==
* [http://www.birmingham-oratory.org.uk/TheOratory/Community/FFrancisXavierMorgan/tabid/100/Default.aspx Father Francis Xavier Morgan]
* [http://www.birminghamoratory.org.uk/francis-morgan/ Father Francis Xavier Morgan (1935)], by F. Philip Lynch; Birmingham Oratory
* [http://www.birmingham-oratory.org.uk/TheOratory/Tolkien/tabid/76/Default.aspx Tolkien and Father Francis]
* [http://www.birminghamoratory.org.uk/tolkien-and-the-oratory/ Tolkien and the Oratory]
* "[http://www.josemanuelferrandez.com/ENconexion.html J.R.R. Tolkien' Spanish Connection]" by [[José Manuel Ferrández Bru]]
* "[http://www.josemanuelferrandez.com/vieja/london/london.html The Morgan Family in London]" by [[José Manuel Ferrández Bru]]


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Revision as of 08:39, 21 June 2021

Father Francis.jpg

Father Francis Xavier Morgan (January 18, 1857 - June 11, 1935) was a Roman Catholic priest at the Birmingham Oratory in Birmingham. He was half Welsh and half Anglo-Spanish.

He took care of Mabel Tolkien during her illness, and took over custody of Ronald and Hilary Tolkien after her death. Father Francis was a pipe-smoker and Tolkien derived his own custom from this.

Father Francis Xavier Morgan, forbade Tolkien to see Edith Bratt until he was twenty-one because he saw her as a distraction from his studies. With one exception, Tolkien obeyed this instruction to the letter while Father Morgan's guardianship lasted.

Tolkien named his first son, John Francis Reuel after him.[1]

In 2013, José Manuel Ferrández Bru published La Conexion Española de J.R.R. Tolkien, a Spanish-language biography about Francis Xavier Morgan.[2] The book was later translated into English.[3]

In Tolkien's works

In the Gnomish Lexicon, Tolkien translates the name "Francis" into Gnomish: Faidron or Faithron. These names are clearly related with other words of the same lexicon: fair ("free, unconstrained"), faidwen/faith ("liberty"), faithir ("liberator, Saviour").[4] The translation is based on etymology as the name Francis (from Italian Francesco) derives from the Franks, who in turn gave the word frank ("free of servitude; candid, outspoken, unreserved").[5] Ferrández Bru considered that Tolkien honored Father Francis this way.

Ferrández Bru suggests that Thingol was partly inspired from Father Francis, considering his opposition to the courtship of Beren to Luthien; with whom Tolkien identified himself and Edith.[source?]

See also

External links

References

  1. Humphrey Carpenter, J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography, "III. 1917-1925: The making of a mythology", p. 97
  2. José Manuel Ferrández Bru, "J.R.R. Tolkien's Spanish Connection", Author's website (accessed 20 May 2020)
  3. ""Uncle Curro". J.R.R. Tolkien's Spanish Connection", Luna Press Publishing (accessed 20 May 2020)
  4. J.R.R. Tolkien, "The Alphabet of Rúmil & Early Noldorin Fragments", in Parma Eldalamberon XIII (edited by Carl F. Hostetter, Christopher Gilson, Arden R. Smith, Patrick H. Wynne, and Bill Welden), p. 33
  5. Etymology of the name "Franks"