Founding Headman - Kusawakenanushi

... When Tokugawa Ieyasu entered Edo in 1590 (Tensho 18), the town rulers were (1) people who had been in Edo before his arrival, (2) people who were appointed after Ieyasu's arrival, and (3) people who were called machiyaku-gashira or myoshu when town houses were built in Edo. People of these three types of lineage were later called kusawake myoshu and were considered to have a special history (Shichu Torishiruishū). Then, in the towns established during the Keichō and Kan'ei periods (1596-1644), there were people who served as myoshu, but they were later called old machi myoshu. ...

*Some of the terminology explanations that refer to the "founding headman" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…　1590年(天正18)徳川家康が江戸に入ったとき，町の支配役としては(1)入国以前から江戸にいた者から取り立てられた者がおり，さらに(2)家康入国後命ぜられた者，(3)江戸で町屋が建設されるさいに町役頭ないし名主と呼ばれた者がいた。これら3類型の系譜の者は後に草創（くさわけ）名主と呼ばれ，特別に由緒のある者とされた(《市中取締類集》)。ついで慶長～寛永期(1596‐1644)に成立した町々にも名主役を務める者があったが，後に古町名主と呼ばれた。…

※「草創名主」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報