The Warden of Westmarch

[Samwise]

I'm doing an RPG, and this question came to mind......
I remember that Pippin was made Thain of the Shire, but that Hobbits pretty much take care of their own affairs amongst themselves.
My Sam was elected Mayor of Hobbiton seven or eight times, but that was more a ceremonial thing (he presided over feasts and the like) but who was the Warden of Westmarch and what, if any, was the significance of the title? Or, for that matter, did I just dream this up in my head?
(I've been known to do such things... smilies/rolleyes.gif smilies/wink.gif )

[Birdland]

Sam - From "The Encyclopedia of Arda":
The Westmarch, the land between the Tower Hills and the Far Downs, was added to the Shire some years after the War of the Ring. Its first Warden, appointed by Thain Peregrin, was Fastred of Greenholm. The title was hereditary, passed by Fastred to his son Elfstan Fairbairn, and associated from then on with the Fairbairns of the Towers.

Fairbairns - The family of the descendants of Samwise Gamgee, through his eldest daughter Elanor and her husband Fastred of Greenholm. Fastred became the first Warden of Westmarch, a title handed down to his son Elfstan Fairbairn and his descendants. The family seat was at Undertowers on the Tower Hills, so that the family are often referred to as the 'Fairbairns of the Towers'.

[Selmo]

Most hobbit affairs were handled by individual families and I suppose that things affecting more than one family would be settled by the head of the most important family in that area, like the Lord of the Manor in mediaeval England.

The Westmarch was a new settlement. It didn't have an established hierachy to control it. Someone had to be appointed to arbitrate between the families in this new colony. Sam's son-in-law was one of the first hobbits to move in and had the right connections to get the job.

[Samwise]

Ah, thank you both! That helped bunches! smilies/biggrin.gif