Father John Tolkien, eldest son
Hyfler/Rosner
By Staff Reporter, Birmingham Post
The eldest son of The Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien has died at
the age of 85.
Father John Tolkien, heir to the multi-million family estate, died
after a 50-year career with the Catholic church in the Midlands.
He had been the subject of a police investigation into allegations of
sex abuse against young boys during his time as a priest.
He was investigated in 1994 and 2001, following allegations made
against him by Christopher Carrie, who sang in the choir when Fr Tolkien was
curate at the Church of the English Martyrs, Sparkhill, Birmingham.
Fr Tolkien had moved to the parish in 1950 where he resided until 1957
before moving to Knutton, Staffordshire.
He stayed there until 1966 and then moved on to Hartshill,
Staffordshire until 1987, before finally residing at Eynsham, Oxfordshire
where he remained until retirement in 1994.
Mr Carrie first made a formal complaint to West Midlands Police in
1994 but after no action was taken. He approached them again in 2001.
He claims he was sexually abused by Tolkien when he was a ten-year-old
in the presbytery of the church in Sparkhill.
Following an investigation, a police file was sent to the Crown
Prosecution Service, but the CPS said while there was sufficient evidence to
proceed with the case, Tolkien would not be charged because he was too ill,
suffering with dementia.
Mr Carrie is now in the process of taking legal action against the
Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham because of Tolkien's alleged abuse.
Louis Epstein
: Sex inquiry Tolkien son dies Jan 27 2003
: By Staff Reporter, Birmingham Post
: The eldest son of The Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien has died at
: the age of 85.
: Father John Tolkien, heir to the multi-million family estate, died
ONE heir,to be clear...he had brothers and a sister.
: after a 50-year career with the Catholic church in the Midlands.
: He had been the subject of a police investigation into allegations of
: sex abuse against young boys during his time as a priest.
: He was investigated in 1994 and 2001, following allegations made
: against him by Christopher Carrie, who sang in the choir when Fr Tolkien was
: curate at the Church of the English Martyrs, Sparkhill, Birmingham.
: Fr Tolkien had moved to the parish in 1950 where he resided until 1957
: before moving to Knutton, Staffordshire.
: He stayed there until 1966 and then moved on to Hartshill,
: Staffordshire until 1987, before finally residing at Eynsham, Oxfordshire
: where he remained until retirement in 1994.
: Mr Carrie first made a formal complaint to West Midlands Police in
: 1994 but after no action was taken. He approached them again in 2001.
: He claims he was sexually abused by Tolkien when he was a ten-year-old
: in the presbytery of the church in Sparkhill.
: Following an investigation, a police file was sent to the Crown
: Prosecution Service, but the CPS said while there was sufficient evidence to
: proceed with the case, Tolkien would not be charged because he was too ill,
: suffering with dementia.
: Mr Carrie is now in the process of taking legal action against the
: Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham because of Tolkien's alleged abuse.
Father John Francis Reuel Tolkien was the last of the line
of "John Tolkiens"...I think John Benjamin Tolkien (1807-96)
was the second,but I am not sure.His eldest son by his second
marriage bore the name as well,but had died before JBT's son
by his second marriage,Arthur Francis Reuel Tolkien,
had occasion to name his elder son,John Ronald Reuel Tolkien.
While the "John" tradition died out,the "Reuel" name was one
of those given to every one of AFRT's children (JRRT and his
brother),grandchildren,and great-grandchildren though as far
as I know none of them have ever been CALLED by it as a usual
thing.
-=-=-
The World Trade Center towers MUST rise again,
at least as tall as before...or terror has triumphed.
matador
>
> While the "John" tradition died out,the "Reuel" name was one
> of those given to every one of AFRT's children (JRRT and his
> brother),grandchildren,and great-grandchildren though as far
> as I know none of them have ever been CALLED by it as a usual
> thing.
Is that ... Louis "Reuel Pain Inthe Ass" Epstein ?
.
.
.
Michael O'Neill
Nope.
I think that's Louis "Tolkien Reuels Okay" Epstein.
M.
Lawrence King
After reading them, I think this accusation has some very bizarre aspects.
The only person named as an accuser is Mr. Carrie. I have searched
several papers online. None of them name other victims, and none of
them seem to have spoken with other victims. And yet the Sunday
Mercury reports Mr. Carrie's claims that there must be a hundred
victims, and asserts in the second paragraph that these victims
numbered in the "dozens". Yet there are no names and the paper
doesn't claim to have talked to any of these victims other than Mr.
Carrie:
On the other hand, when the police investigated this in 2002, they
were investigating only a few possible victims ("in the low single
digits"):
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/01/06/ntolk06.xml
Of course even one victim is heinous, but if one plaintiff alleges a
hundred victims with no evidence, it makes me wonder if he is being
honest in his other claims as well.
The most bizarre part of the story is this. Mr. Carrie, now 57 years
old, claims that in mid-1994 he had a conversation with the
77-year-old Fr Tolkien. He claims that Fr. Tolkien didn't deny the
abuse. Indeed, says Carrie, their conversation was so friendly that
he entertained hopes that he and Fr. Tolkien might co-author a book
giving the perspective of the abuser and the abused. On the other
hand, Fr. Tolkien's story to the police that same day was that Mr.
Carrie tried to blackmail him.
Blackmail? Well, one thing that is certain is that Fr. Tolkien has
lots of money. The reason I bring this up is that on the victim's own
website -- www.kloneit.com -- he actually accuses _two_ sons of J.R.R.
Tolkien of abuse. The two brothers have never worked in the same city
(according to the victim's own website). But what they _do_ have in
common is they are both heirs to one of the largest literary fortunes
of the 20th century.
I don't want to jump to conclusions that this is a lie -- the last
year certainly has taught us not to do that! But the abuse cases
we've seen in the past year usually involve one priest and several
victims. Here we have two abusers -- both very rich -- and one
victim. Plus, according to Mr. Carrie, 99 other unnamed victims.
And here's one more bizarre angle. Supposedly Fr. Tolkien abused this
man in 1956, when he was ten. I would think that a victim in this
situation wouldn't want to read the novels of his abuser's father.
And yet this victim not only has read J.R.R. Tolkien's books, but has
used a Middle-earth theme all through his own webpage, with cute
little "Gollum" comments, as well as using a Middle-earth theme in his
self-published book (which is named Klone'It, a Tolkien anagram with
cutesy punctuation).
I certainly hope the authorities investigate these charges. But based
on the evidence so far, I am not convinced.
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Louis Epstein
> Must be believing it now if your following the iicsa birmingham case this week and shame on all the doubters as it is finally being exposed as a massive cover up by catholic Church police and Tolkien lawyers you my friends are the reason people don't report abuse cos your all to quick to jump to the conclusion that it's lies well eat humble pie and be more open minded next time someone reports abuse