
On April 12th, 3018, Gandalf returned to Bag End to confirm his suspicion. After some study, and reading a scroll written by Isildur (the High King of Gondor and Arnor after his father Elendil), he concluded that the ring Bilbo had recovered from Gollum was probably the master ring which Isildur had cut from the hand of Sauron at the conclusion of the War of the Last Alliance.

Sometime during the next 17 years, during a trip to Gondor, Gandalf researched what Bilbo's ring might be. Following Gandalf's advice, Frodo hid the ring in a safe place. Frodo thus inherited Bag End along with Bilbo's magic ring.

Bilbo Baggins, Frodo's uncle, left the Shire on Septemafter a party marking his 111th birthday (and Frodo's 33rd).
