Changes: Thomas Riddle

Revision as of 15:03, 25 March 2020

"Point me!"
This article is about The Dark Lord's paternal grandfather. You may be looking for someone else with the same first name.

Thomas Riddle (1880–1943) was a very wealthy English Muggle who owned most of the town of Little Hangleton. He and his wife Mary had a son named Tom. The Riddles were snobby and looked down on the poverty-stricken House of Gaunt who lived nearby. Although the Gaunts were also unpopular, frowned upon due to their squalour and ill manners by most of the village, the Riddle looked down on most of the families in the village as well, becoming very unpopular amongst the locals.^[2] He was murdered along with his wife and son by his own grandson, Tom Marvolo Riddle.

Biography

Early life

Thomas was born in 1880. At some point he married Mary, who would give birth to their son, Tom, in 1905.

Son's marriage

The elderly Riddle couple suffered a great scandal when Tom mysteriously eloped and married Merope Gaunt, the daughter of the insane Marvolo Gaunt. The pair left for London, but Tom soon returned to his parents' home, claiming to have been "hood-winked" and "taken in" by Merope. This may have referred to her being a witch and probably using a Love Potion on him to obtain his affections, or to her pregnancy.^[3]

Murder

In 1943, Tom was confronted by his son from his forced marriage to Merope Gaunt—Tom Marvolo Riddle, who had been left in an orphanage after his mother's death and who was a very powerful wizard. Thomas was murdered by his grandson with the Killing Curse, as were his wife and son, leaving the three with horrified faces at their deaths, and no medical reason for how three perfectly healthy persons died just like that. Riddle then framed his uncle Morfin Gaunt for the crime, and Morfin was imprisoned in Azkaban by the Magical justice system. While the Muggle authorities could not figure out how the Riddles had died, many people suspected their gardener, Frank Bryce, of being the killer. However, the Muggle police never prepared charges against Bryce, due to lack of evidence. Thomas was buried in the Little Hangleton graveyard along with his son and wife. Due to their attitude towards the locals the only mourners for them were the parson, the mortician and the gravediggers. However, the murders did become the talk of the town, and residents of Little Hangleton did question what had happened and if it could reoccur.

Behind the scenes

In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Albus Dumbledore refers to Riddle’s child, Tom (senior) as "the squire’s son." "Squire" is a British term referring to the leader of an English village, often a justice of the peace or a member of Parliament, indicating Thomas’s status in Muggle society.

Etymology

The name "Thomas" is the Greek form of the Aramaic name תָּאוֹמָא (Ta'oma’) which meant "twin".

Appearances

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Mentioned only)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film) (First identified as Thomas Riddle)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Mentioned only)

Notes and references

↑ In the Riddle House in the 1990s, there is a calendar - [1] - for 1943, which is still set on August, implying that was the month Thomas, Tom and Mary all died
↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 1 (The Riddle House)
↑ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 10 (The House of Gaunt)

[1] In the Riddle House in the 1990s, there is a calendar - [1] - for 1943, which is still set on August, implying that was the month Thomas, Tom and Mary all died

[2] Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 1 (The Riddle House)

[3] Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 10 (The House of Gaunt)

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Youmay|[[Tom Riddle|The Dark Lord's]] paternal grandfather|[[Thomas (disambiguation)|someone else with the same first name]]}}
-Son's marriage
+{{Individual infobox
+|image = [[File:Thomas Riddle grave.png|250px]]
+|name = Thomas Riddle
+|born = [[1880]]
+|died = [[August]]<ref>In the Riddle House in the 1990s, there is a calendar - [http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/file:1943RiddleHouseCalendar.png] - for 1943, which is still set on August, implying that was the month Thomas, Tom and Mary all died</ref>, [[1943]] (aged 62 - 63)<br />[[Riddle House]], [[Little Hangleton]], [[England]], [[Great Britain]]
+|blood = [[Non-magic people|Muggle]]
+|nationality = [[England|English]]
+|marital = Married
+|title = Squire
+|species = [[Human]]
+|gender = Male
+|family = *[[Mary Riddle]] (wife) †
+*[[Tom Riddle Senior|Tom Riddle Snr]] (son) †
+*[[Merope Riddle|Merope Gaunt]] (daughter-in-law) †
+*[[Tom Riddle|Tom Marvolo Riddle]] (grandson) †
+*[[Delphini]] (great-granddaughter)
+|loyalty = [[Riddle family]]
+|theme = muggle
+}}
+'''Thomas Riddle''' ([[1880]]–[[1943]]) was a very wealthy [[England|English]] [[Non-magic people|Muggle]] who owned most of the town of [[Little Hangleton]]. He and his wife [[Mary Riddle|Mary]] had a son named [[Tom Riddle Senior|Tom]]. The [[Riddle family|Riddles]] were snobby and looked down on the poverty-stricken [[House of Gaunt]] who lived nearby. Although the Gaunts were also unpopular, frowned upon due to their squalour and ill manners by most of the village, the Riddle looked down on most of the families in the village as well, becoming very unpopular amongst the locals.<ref>{{GOF|B|1}}</ref> He was murdered along with his wife and son by his own grandson, [[Tom Riddle|Tom Marvolo Riddle]].
+==Biography==
+===Early life===
+Thomas was born in 1880. At some point he married Mary, who would give birth to their son, Tom, in 1905.
+===Son's marriage===
 The elderly Riddle couple suffered a great scandal when Tom mysteriously eloped and [[Wedding of Tom Riddle Senior and Merope Gaunt|married]] [[Merope Riddle|Merope Gaunt]], the daughter of the insane [[Marvolo Gaunt]]. The pair left for [[London]], but Tom soon returned to his [[Riddle House|parents' home]], claiming to have been "hood-winked" and "taken in" by Merope. This may have referred to her being a [[Wizardkind|witch]] and probably using a [[Love Potion]] on him to obtain his affections, or to her pregnancy.<ref>{{HBP|B|10}}</ref>
 ===Murder===
-In [[1943]], Tom was confronted by his son from his forced marriage to Merope Gaunt—[[Tom Riddle|Tom Marvolo Riddle]], who had been left in an [[Wool's Orphanage|orphanage]] after his mother's death and who was a very powerful [[Wizardkind|wizard]]. Thomas was refers to Riddle’s child, Tom (senior)
+In [[1943]], Tom was confronted by his son from his forced marriage to Merope Gaunt—[[Tom Riddle|Tom Marvolo Riddle]], who had been left in an [[Wool's Orphanage|orphanage]] after his mother's death and who was a very powerful [[Wizardkind|wizard]]. Thomas was murdered by his grandson with the [[Killing Curse]], as were his wife and son, leaving the three with horrified faces at their deaths, and no medical reason for how three perfectly healthy persons died just like that. Riddle then framed his uncle [[Morfin Gaunt]] for the crime, and Morfin was imprisoned in [[Azkaban]] by the Magical justice system. While the Muggle authorities could not figure out how the Riddles had died, many people suspected their gardener, [[Frank Bryce]], of being the killer. However, the Muggle police never prepared charges against Bryce, due to lack of evidence. Thomas was buried in the [[Little Hangleton graveyard]] along with his son and wife. Due to their attitude towards the locals the only mourners for them were the parson, the mortician and the gravediggers. However, the murders did become the talk of the town, and residents of Little Hangleton did question what had happened and if it could reoccur.
+==Behind the scenes==
+*In {{HBP}}, Albus Dumbledore refers to Riddle’s child, Tom (senior) as "the squire’s son." "Squire" is a British term referring to the leader of an English village, often a justice of the peace or a member of Parliament, indicating Thomas’s status in Muggle society.
+==Etymology==
 The name "Thomas" is the Greek form of the Aramaic name תָּאוֹמָא (''Ta'oma''’) which meant "twin".