The Matsuura of Hizen province had somewhat obscure origins, and may have originally been a collection of land-owners who united under the name 'Matsuura'. One theory holds that the Matsuura line that persisted into the Edo Period was established by Minamoto Hisashi, a descendant of the Emperor Saga. The Matsuura, known for their naval power (and involvement in piracy), survived the Sengoku Period and became Edo Period daimyo.
References
- Initial text from Sengoku Biographical Dictionary (Samurai-Archives.com) FWSeal & CEWest, 2005