J.R.R. Tolkien and Edith Tolkien had four children.
Their children were John Francis, Michael Hilary, Christopher John, and Priscilla Mary Tolkien. John became a Catholic priest, while Christopher played a major role in editing and publishing his father’s posthumous writings. Priscilla was Tolkien’s only daughter.
The family lived in and around Oxford for much of Tolkien’s academic career. Tolkien’s domestic life and Catholic faith were important parts of his biography, although his fiction was not simply a direct record of family events. Christopher’s later editorial work was especially significant because he prepared manuscripts such as The Silmarillion for publication after Tolkien’s death.
The number is sometimes confused with the number of major Tolkien children who became publicly prominent. All four were Tolkien’s children, but Christopher received the greatest literary attention because of his editorial responsibilities and publications about his father’s work.