Editing Samwise Gamgee (section)

== Fictional biography ==

{{further|Tolkien's Middle-earth poetry}}

=== The War of the Ring ===

[[File:Frodo and Sam guided by Gollum through the Dead Marshes by Alexander Korotich.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] and Sam guided by [[Gollum]] through the [[Dead Marshes]]. [[Scraperboard]] illustration by [[Alexander Korotich]], 1984]]

As told in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', Samwise Gamgee is [[Frodo Baggins]]'s gardener, having inherited the position from his father, Hamfast "Gaffer" Gamgee, who was [[Bilbo Baggins]]'s gardener. As "punishment" for eavesdropping on [[Gandalf]]'s [[The Shadow of the Past|conversation with Frodo]] about the [[One Ring]], Sam is made Frodo's first companion on his journey to [[Rivendell]].<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a|loc=book 1, ch. 2, "[[The Shadow of the Past]]"}}</ref> They are joined by [[Meriadoc Brandybuck]] and [[Peregrin Took]], Frodo's cousins, travelling together to [[Rivendell]]. At the [[Council of Elrond]] there, Sam joins [[The Fellowship of the Ring (characters)|the Fellowship of the Ring]].<ref name="The Council of Elrond" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a|loc=book 2, ch. 2, "[[The Council of Elrond]]"}}</ref> In the [[Elf (Middle-earth)|elvish]] land of [[Lothlórien]], [[Galadriel]] gives Sam a small box of earth from her garden.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a|loc=book 2, ch. 8, "Farewell to Lórien"}}</ref>

When the Fellowship splits up at the [[Falls of Rauros]], Sam insists on accompanying Frodo.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a|loc=book 2, ch. 10, "The Breaking of the Fellowship"}}</ref> Sam protects and cares for Frodo, who is growing weaker under the Ring's influence, as they move through the dangerous lands toward [[Mordor]]. Sam distrusts [[Gollum]], who became their guide into Mordor, leading them through the Dead Marshes.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954|loc=book 4, ch. 1, "The Taming of Sméagol"}}</ref><ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954|loc=book 4, ch. 2, "The Passage of the Marshes"}}</ref> His suspicions are confirmed in the mountain pass of Cirith Ungol, where Gollum betrays them to the giant spider [[Shelob]]. Shelob stings Frodo, and Sam drives her off.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a|loc=book 4, ch. 9, "Shelob's Lair"}}</ref> A band of [[orc (Middle-earth)|orcs]] approaches; Sam chooses to leave the apparently dead Frodo and take the Ring himself, and briefly becomes the [[Ring-bearer]]. He is momentarily tempted by the [[One Ring|Ring's]] [[Addiction to power in The Lord of the Rings|promise of power]], but does not succumb to it.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a|loc=book 4, ch. 10, "The Choices of Master Samwise"}}</ref> Sam then rescues Frodo (who had only been paralysed) from the [[Orc]]s who held him captive. Sam returns the ring to Frodo.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955|loc=book 6, ch. 1, "The Tower of Cirith Ungol"}}</ref> The two journey through Mordor<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955|loc=book 6, ch. 2, "The Land of Shadow"}}</ref> and into [[Mount Doom]]. Sam carries Frodo on his back for some of the way. Gollum attacks Frodo and reclaims the Ring, only to destroy both it and himself by falling into one of the Cracks of Doom.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955|loc=book 6, ch. 3, "Mount Doom"}}</ref>

=== The Scouring of the Shire ===

{{further|The Scouring of the Shire}}

{{Quote box
 | quote  = So Sam planted saplings in all the places where specially beautiful or beloved trees had been destroyed, and he put a grain of the precious dust in the soil at the root of each. He went up and down the Shire in this labour; but if he paid special attention to [[Hobbiton]] and Bywater no one blamed him. ...<br/>&nbsp;&nbsp;Spring surpassed his wildest hopes. His trees began to sprout and grow, as if time was in a hurry and wished to make one year do for twenty. In the Party Field a beautiful young sapling leaped up: it had silver bark and long leaves and burst into golden flowers in April. It was indeed a ''[[mallorn]]'', and it was the wonder of the neighbourhood.
 | source = ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', book 6, ch. 9 "The Grey Havens"
 | width  = 40%
 | align  = right
}}

The hobbits return home<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955|loc=book 6, ch. 7, "Homeward Bound"}}</ref> horrified to find the Shire under the control of "Sharkey" ([[Saruman]]) and his ruffians who had wantonly felled trees and despoiled the villages; the hobbits defeat them at the [[Battle of Bywater]] and [[The Scouring of the Shire|scour the Shire]] of all the ruffians and their works.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955|loc=book 6, ch. 8, "[[The Scouring of the Shire]]"}}</ref> Sam travels the length and breadth of [[the Shire]] replanting trees, using the elf-queen [[Galadriel]]'s gift of earth from her garden, and one seed of the elvish [[mallorn]] tree, which he plants at Hobbiton. The saplings grow at an astonishing rate.<ref name="Grey Havens" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955|loc=book 6, ch. 9, "The Grey Havens"}}</ref>

=== In the Fourth Age ===

Sam marries [[Rosie Cotton]] and moves into [[Bag End]] with Frodo. The next year they have a daughter, Elanor, the first of their thirteen children. Frodo tells Sam that he (Frodo) and Bilbo will leave [[Middle-earth]], along with Gandalf and most of the remaining High Elves, for the [[Undying Lands]]. Frodo gives Sam the estate of Bag End, and the ''[[Red Book of Westmarch]]'' for Sam to continue, hinting that Sam may also be allowed to travel into the West eventually. Sam returns to meet his family at Bag End, ending the story with the words "Well, I'm back."<ref name="Grey Havens" group=T/>

[[Non-narrative elements in The Lord of the Rings#Chronologies|The Appendices note that]] in the year 1427 of the [[Shire Calendar|Shire Reckoning]], Sam was elected [[Mayor of the Shire]] for the first of seven consecutive seven-year terms.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955|loc=Appendix B, "The Tale of Years", "Later Events Concerning the Members of the Fellowship of the Ring"}}</ref> His descendants took the surname Gardner in his honour.<ref name="gardner" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955|loc=Appendix C "Family Trees", "The Longfather-Tree of Master Samwise"}}</ref>