Hobbits, - hobgoblins... What is a Hob?...

The word "hob", or "lob', is is a name for a group of small rustic faeries.  Brownies belong to this tribe.  Most hobs are kindly beings, unless they are hobgoblins.  Many hobs are quite mischievous.

A sinister hob, a headless hob, that William Henderson mentions in his book, "Folklore Of The Northern Countries", hung around a road in England, near Hurworth and Neasham, but could not cross the river Kent, which flowed into the river Tees, because evil faerie creatures do not like to cross running streams. He was exorcised and supposedly laid to rest under a large rock for 99 years and 1 day.

Another hob mentioned by William Henderson was more of the helpful brownie type who liked to be near Sturfit Hall in Yorkshire.  He did household chores, as brownies like to do.  But, the family he was attached to saw him working one night and thought he was poorly and raggedly dressed, so they gave him a new cloak and a hood.  The brownie was delighted with his new clothes and began to sing and dance:

                                      "Ha, - a cloak and a hood,
                                        Hob'll never do mair good!"

And, with that the brownie left.  The family never saw him again.

Most hobgoblins are of the tricky type of small faerie, and are fond of practical jokes, many which are not that funny.  But, some are really nasty to people.  Boggarts and bogles are some of the more cruel hobgoblins.