Matsuura family

The name of a clan that lived in Matsuura District, Hizen Province (Higashimatsuura District, Nishimatsuura District, Saga Prefecture, Minamimatsuura District, Kitamatsuura District, Nagasaki Prefecture) and claimed to be descendants of the Saga Genji clan. They are characterized by having a one-character name with the surname Minamoto. They adopted Matsuura as their surname because they were native to the Matsuura region from the Heian period. There is a theory that their ancestor was Minamoto Hisashi, who came down from Watanabe-no-sho in Settsu Province (Osaka City) in 1069 (Enkyu 1) to serve as Uno no Mikuriya Kengyo in Hizen Province, but this is hard to believe. At the end of the Heian period, they became samurai and established bases in various parts of the district, taking the local names of the places they settled in as their surnames. However, they were aware that they were related to the Matsuura clan, and sometimes took the name Matsuura instead of the surname based on the local place name. Especially after the Nanboku-cho period, the Matsuura clan's membership was emphasized by adding Matsuura to the family name based on the local place name, and even residents of the Matsuura region who were not originally Matsuura clan members came to refer to themselves as Matsuura clan members. During the Sengoku period, the Matsuura clan of Hirado expanded their power and unified the surrounding local powers, and in 1587 (Tensho 15), Toyotomi Hideyoshi granted them the land they had previously controlled. After the establishment of the Edo Shogunate, they became early modern daimyo with a kokudaka of 63,200 koku, and established their castle in Hirado. After the Meiji period, they were granted the title of count.

[Seno Seiichiro]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

嵯峨源氏(さがげんじ)の子孫と称する肥前国(ひぜんのくに)松浦(まつら)郡（佐賀県東松浦(ひがしまつうら)郡・西松浦郡、長崎県南松浦郡・北松浦郡）に居住した一族の呼称。源姓で一字名を名のることを特徴とする。平安時代から松浦地方に土着したことから、松浦氏を姓とした。その始祖を、1069年（延久1）摂津国渡辺荘(わたなべのしょう)（大阪市）から肥前国宇野御厨検校(うののみくりやけんぎょう)として下向してきた源久(ひさし)とする説があるが信じがたい。平安末には武士化して、郡内各地に割拠し、それぞれの土着した土地名を姓とした。しかし松浦氏一族であるとの意識を有しており、土着した地名に基づく姓のかわりに松浦氏を名のることもあった。とくに南北朝時代以降は、土地名による姓の上に松浦を付すことによって、松浦一族を強調することが行われるようになり、本来松浦一族でない松浦地方の住人まで松浦一族と称することになった。戦国時代、平戸(ひらど)松浦氏が勢力を伸長して周辺の在地勢力を統一し、1587年（天正15）豊臣秀吉(とよとみひでよし)によって、それまで支配していた所領を安堵(あんど)された。江戸幕府成立後、石高(こくだか)6万3200石の近世大名となり、平戸に居城を構えた。明治以後、伯爵を与えられた。

［瀬野精一郎］

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