BIFFO BOFFIN
1219-1310
Biffo’s reputation has suffered greatly over the years. His legacy, if one can call it that, is certainly unfavourable to him. Many have described him as a greedy fool who brought about the disgrace of his family. Ever since the time of Berno, the Boffin family was held in the highest regard by the people of Barleywick, so much so that they were viewed as the ancestral patriarchs of the village. In Biffo’s time this view was greatly diminished, to the extent that the family left Barleywick to live in disgrace and, effectively, exile. But it is possible to take another view of the life of Biffo Boffin, one that allows for more respect and the dignity of his memory.
Born in the autumn of 1219, Biffo was the son of the infamous socialite and party-prone Bindo and his patient wife, Iris. The escapades of Bindo were undeniably entertaining at the time and were indeed spoken of for many years to come. But they were also, of course, immensely expensive. Although he was fully aware that his expenditure was amassing to vast debts, Bindo continued his extravagant lifestyle until the very end. Upon his death in 1243, the headship of the family and mastery of Boffin’s Burrow went to Biffo’s mother. Although it had been left to her to manage the household and family for many years, since Bindo was often distracted, it was not within her will to face the financial abyss that her late husband had left behind. No doubt coupled by her grief, the widow Iris voluntarily abdicated her inheritance to her son Biffo only a few months later. She would outlive her husband for another seventeen years, before passing away in 1260.
It was clear from the very beginning that Biffo was not shrewd or business-orientated. The truth is that he had very little interest in the well-to-do life; much unlike his father had been for all those years. Instead of throwing expensive parties, Biffo instead occupied himself with gardening and other modest hobbits. Perhaps he was genuinely a hobbit who wished only to live a simple existence, but it is possible that he was purposely distracting himself from the reality of his bankruptcy. Alas, his hand was eventually forced. His plan was to settle his debts by increasing the rent of the farmland found on the other side of Barleywick, which had been owned by the Boffins since Berno’s day. The tenants of the farm did not, understandably, take too kindly to this. Soon enough the entire village began to view Biffo as a miser and an incompetent landlord. His moneymaking plan had the opposite effect to its intention, as the tenants soon left the farm unattended. It would seem as though Biffo’s poor reputation stems from these particular events. But the reality is that at this time Biffo could barely even afford to keep himself fed.
It was not until 1273, thirty years after inheriting the estate that he married. This was quite clearly a marriage of convenience, which was likely Biffo's last resort to save the Boffin's Burrow. The marriage was to Marigold Baggins, the daughter of the wealthy mill-owner, Wuldo Baggins from Bywater. The dowry from such a marriage would do much to alleviate his money problems. Two years after the marriage, their son Bosgo was born. He was followed two years later by their daughter Amaryllis. It would only be five years later that the Boffins of Barleywick were brought to their knees. All of Biffo’s attempts had failed. Furniture was being repossessed by his creditors on a daily basis now. The security of his family was dwindling rapidly. For a price far below its true value, the ancestral estate of the Boffins was sold off in 1282. Now that his debts were finally settled, the family moved from Barleywick to Hobbiton. Biffo would never see his home again.
Biffo lived in Hobbiton for the rest of his life, disgraced and humiliated. The residents of Hobbiton treated him with respect and kindness, feeling sympathetic to this broken gentlehobbit. The only work that Biffo could find was on a dairy farm just outside the village. The pay was reasonable enough, but Biffo would never find peace in this new life. He is said to have remained a capital husband and father despite his poverty and misery, reminding his son Bosgo of their home in Barleywick and the better like they once lived. Marigold, his wife, remained faithful to her husband even in poverty. Her father Wuldo Baggins seems to have been reluctant to assist his daughter and her family, perhaps even disowning her to distance himself from Biffo’s disgrace. She died in 1305. At the age of ninety one, Biffo died in Hobbiton in 1310 - a mere year before his son Bosgo reclaimed the estate for the Boffins.
Remember that Biffo did not choose the life he was given, and that he inherited all of his father’s responsibilities – and debts that accompanied them. Just because we may not be skilful with coin, this does not at all make us bad people. In many cases, we are far better off without money.
