Who was J.R.R. Tolkien’s eldest son?

J.R.R. Tolkien’s eldest son was John Francis Reuel Tolkien.

John was born in 1917 and was the first of Tolkien’s four children with his wife, Edith Bratt. He later became a Roman Catholic priest and served as a parish priest in England. His religious vocation was an important part of his adult life, separate from his father’s academic and literary career.

Tolkien’s other children were Michael, Christopher, and Priscilla. Christopher became especially well known for editing and publishing much of his father’s posthumous material, which is why readers sometimes mistakenly identify him as the eldest son. Christopher was Tolkien’s third child, not his first.

The family’s Catholic faith was significant in Tolkien’s life and influenced his personal outlook. John’s full name included Francis and Reuel, reflecting family naming traditions and his father’s middle name.