Bracegirdles
The great age of the Bracegirdle family alone commands respect. In records of the earliest years of the Shire, the ancestors of this family were held in high regard for excavating rocky areas that other hobbits found difficult, or impossible. Such a skill, of course, meant that there was high demand for the family’s labour. It is likely that this was the origin of their wealth, which has only increased as it has been passed through the many generations.
Hardbottle is the ancestral home of the Bracegirdles, although they are also populous throughout the rest of the Northfarthing. The village of Hardbottle is built within a very rocky area that was excavated by the Bracegirdles many generations ago. One can see from the village just how proficient their ancestors were when working with such terrain.
