In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the Brandybuck clan was a powerful Hobbit family.
The family began as the Oldbuck clan, who named themselves such apparently after a Bucca of the Marish, who became the first Thain of the Shire. Ten Oldbuck Thains followed, until Gordenhad Oldbuck, the eleventh Thain, crossed into Buckland over the river Brandywine.
Gordenhad renamed himself Brandybuck, and began delving the great smials of Brandy Hall. Around the hill was built the village of Bucklebury.
The Brandybucks formed a powerful dynasty which became mostly independent of the Shire, although Buckland remained nominally a part of it. They were seen as 'odd folk' by the other Hobbits of the Shire because they locked their doors at night (because of the exposure to the Old Forest).
The head of the family was the Master of Buckland, one of the officials of the Shire. This office was founded by Gordenhad Brandybuck. It was traditional for each of the Masters to have an epigraph attached to their names, such as Gorbadoc "Broadbelt", Saradoc "Scattergold", and the most famous, Meriadoc Brandybuck the Magnificent. Like the Thain and Warden of Westmarch, the Master had only nominal authority.
Important Brandybucks
Bucca of the Marish: founded the family of the Oldbucks, after settling in the later Eastfarthing. Also the first Thain.
Gordenhad Oldbuck: Eleventh Thain of the Oldbuck line. He led the colonization of Buckland, and renamed himself to Brandybuck.
Gormadoc Brandybuck (Third Age 2734-2836): Master of Buckland until his death, and an ancestor of both Frodo Baggins and Meriadoc Brandybuck.
Buckland was described in Chapter V A Conspiracy Unmasked in The Fellowship of the Ring as being "virtually a small independent country..
The most important town of Buckland is Bucklebury where the Brandy Hall is located, home of the Master of Buckland, one of the important officials of the Shire.
Because Buckland is east of the Baranduin, it is not part of the land given to the hobbits by King Argeleb II of Arthedain.
The Master of Buckland had authority over the inhabitants of Buckland on the east side of the Brandywine River.
In the year 13, Aragorn, King Elessar, made the Master of Buckland a Counsellor of the North-kingdom.
The Thain was the master of the Shire-moot, and captain of the Shire-muster and the Hobbitry-in-arms, but since the Shire was generally in a state of peace and prosperity, the Thain was rarely if ever called upon to perform these duties.
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