Matsura clan

Japanese: 松浦家 (Matsura ke)

The Matsura of Hizen province had somewhat obscure origins, and may have originally been a collection of land-owners who united under the name 'Matsura'. One theory holds that the Matsura line that persisted into the Edo period was established by Minamoto no Hisashi, a descendant of Watanabe no Tsuna and Minamoto no Tôru, and through them, of Emperor Saga.

The Matsura, known for their naval power (and involvement in piracy), survived the Sengoku period and in the Edo period became lords of Hirado han. Their territory included not only Hirado Island, but also the Iki Islands to the north and a number of islands between Hirado and the Gotô Islands to the west.

Prominent Members of the Matsura House

Matsura Hisashi 久 - 8th head of the house;^[1] first to hold the surname Matsura
- Matsura Naoshi 直 (aka Yasushi 安) - 9th head of the house; second son of Hisashi
  - Matsura Minehira 峯披 - 10th head of the house; son of Naoshi
    - - Matsura Kotau 答 - 14th head of the house; great-grandson of Minehira; first to rule at Hirado
        Matsura Yoei 與栄 - 16th head of the house; son of Kotau
        Matsura Yasumasa 安正 - 18th head of the house; son of Yoei
        Matsura Shôei 昌栄 - 19th head of the house; son of Yasumasa
        Matsura Shôrin 正林 - 20th head of the house; son of Shôei
        
        Matsura Koreoki 是興 - 21st head of the house; son of Shôei
        Matsura Toyohisa 豊久 - 22nd head of the house; son of Koreoki
        Matsura Hirosada 弘定 - 23rd head of the house; son of Toyohisa
        Matsura Okinobu 興信 - 24th head of the house; adopted son of Hirosada
        Matsura Takanobu (1529-1599) 隆信 - 25th head of the house; son of Okinobu
        Matsura Shigenobu (1549-1614) (Hôin) 鎮信(法印) - 26th head of the house; 1st lord of Hirado han; son of Takanobu
        Matsura Hisanobu 久信 - 2nd lord of Hirado han; son of Shigenobu
        Matsura Takanobu (1592-1637) 隆信 - 3rd lord of Hirado han; son of Hisanobu
        Matsura Shigenobu (1622-1703) (Tenshô) 鎮信（天祥）- 4th lord of Hirado han; son of Takanobu
        Matsura Takashi 棟 - 5th lord of Hirado han; son of Shigenobu
        
        Matsura Atsunobu 篤信 - 6th lord of Hirado han; son of Shigenobu
        Matsura Arinobu 有信 - 7th lord of Hirado han; son of Atsunobu
        
        Matsura Sanenobu 誠信 - 8th lord of Hirado han; son of Atsunobu
        Matsura Kuni 邦 - son of Sanenobu
        
        Matsura Masanobu 政信 - son of Sanenobu
        Matsura Kiyoshi (Seizan) 清・静山 - 9th lord of Hirado han; son of Masanobu
        Matsura Hikaru 晧 - son of Kiyoshi; lord of Hirado Shinden han
        Matsura Nagashi 脩 - son of Hikaru; lord of Hirado Shinden han
        
        Matsura Hiromu 熈 - 10th lord of Hirado han; son of Kiyoshi
        Matsura Terasu 曜 - 11th lord of Hirado han; son of Hiromu
        Matsura Akira (1840-1908) 詮 - 12th & final lord of Hirado han; adoptive son of Terasu
        Matsura Atsushi 厚 - 13th head of the house^[2]; son of Akira
        Matsura Susumu 陞 - 14th head of the house;^[2] son of Atsushi
        Matsura So 素 - 15th head of the house;^[2] son of Susumu
        Matsura Akira (b. 1947) 章 - 16th head of the house; ^[2] son of So

References

Initial text from Sengoku Biographical Dictionary (Samurai-Archives.com) FWSeal & CEWest, 2005

↑ The counting for the medieval Matsura house counts Minamoto no Tôru as the 1st head of the house and Watanabe no Tsuna as the 5th.
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 The Meiji period counting of the heads of the house counts back to Matsura Shigenobu (Hôin), first Edo period lord of Hirado han as "first" head of the house.

[1] The counting for the medieval Matsura house counts Minamoto no Tôru as the 1st head of the house and Watanabe no Tsuna as the 5th.

[meijicount-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 The Meiji period counting of the heads of the house counts back to Matsura Shigenobu (Hôin), first Edo period lord of Hirado han as "first" head of the house.

[1]

[2]