배천 조씨(白川 趙氏) — Said to be the family that produced Jungbong Jo Heon, a righteous-army commander who died in the Imjin War.
Said to be the family that produced Jungbong Jo Heon, a righteous-army commander who died in the Imjin War. In the 2015 Census the 배천 조씨 clan numbered about 75,978 people, one of Korea's major surnames and clans. Even among people surnamed 조, a different clan seat (bon-gwan, 배천) means a different lineage. New to these terms? See the bon-gwan, pa & hangnyeol guide.
The Baecheon Jo clan (白川 趙氏) takes Baecheon County (Baekcheon) in South Hwanghae Province as its ancestral seat. The place name is written Baekcheon (白川) but pronounced Baecheon, so the clan is also called the Baekcheon Jo.
Bokheung Buwongun-pa, Sugwi-gong-pa, Pyeongsuk-gong-pa, Euncheon-gun-pa, Gyeongyeol-gong-pa, Munyeol-gong-pa
The Bokheung Buwongun branch is one of the two great divisions of the Baecheon Jo clan, with sub-branches including the Sugwi-gong, Gyeongeun-gong, Pyeongsuk-gong and Yuhu-gong branches. Bokheung (復興) was the title of Jo Ban (趙胖, 1341-1401), a second-rank founding merit subject of Joseon enfeoffed as Lord Bokheung, and Sugwi (肅魏) was his posthumous name.
As a boy Jo Ban went to the Yuan capital, learned literary Chinese and Mongolian, and served as a clerk-interpreter in the Yuan Secretariat; after returning he went on several embassies to Ming China and rose to chamchan munhabusa.
The Sugwi-gong branch takes as its founder Jo Ban (趙胖, 1341-1401), a second-rank founding merit subject of Joseon enfeoffed as Lord Bokheung (復興君). Sugwi (肅魏) was his posthumous name, and the branch is presented as part of the Bokheung Buwongun line.
As a boy Jo Ban learned literary Chinese and Mongolian in the Yuan capital, and after returning he went on several embassies to Ming China. Some sources list the Seungji-gong, Gyeongeundang and Pyeongsuk-gong lines as splitting from this branch.
Founders and lineages are recorded differently across clan records; please confirm in your own jokbo.
The Pyeongsuk-gong branch descends from an ancestor who received the posthumous name Pyeongsuk (平肅), and is presented as a line under the Bokheung Buwongun division (Sugwi-gong line). Pyeongsuk is recorded as the posthumous name of Jo Seo-an (趙瑞安) of the Baecheon Jo, and this line appears to be named after him.
Some sources list it as an independent branch and others as a sub-branch of the Sugwi-gong line, so its placement may differ between lineages.
Founders and lineages are recorded differently across clan records; please confirm in your own jokbo.
The Euncheon-gun branch is the other great division of the Baecheon Jo clan, with sub-branches including the Gangso-gong, Panseo-gong, Chungwi-gong, Chamui-gong and Munjeong-gong branches. Euncheon (銀川) refers to Euncheon County in Baekju, home of the clan founder Jo Ji-rin.
Men enfeoffed as Lord Euncheon (銀川君) in late Goryeo and early Joseon include the second-rank founding merit subject Jo Gi (趙琦) and Jo Rim (趙琳), who served as governor of Hanyang and chanseong munhabusa and received the posthumous name Gangso (康昭).
The Gyeongyeol-gong branch (also written Gyeongnyeol-gong) descends from an ancestor with the posthumous name Gyeongyeol (敬烈). Gyeongyeol is recorded as the posthumous name of Jo Jin (趙珍), son of Jo Mun-ju (趙文胄), Lord Euncheon of Goryeo; Jo Mun-ju and his sons Jo O and Jo Jin are remembered for reviving the family.
Some sources treat Jo Jin as the branch founder while others omit the branch from their lists, so its founder and placement (whether in the Euncheon-gun line) are best confirmed in the jokbo.
Founders and lineages are recorded differently across clan records; please confirm in your own jokbo.
The Munyeol-gong branch is named after Munyeol (文烈), the posthumous name of Jo Heon (趙憲, 1544-1592), pen name Jungbong, the righteous-army commander of the Imjin War, and refers to his descendants.
A disciple of Yi I and Seong Hon known for his outspoken memorials, Jo Heon raised a righteous army at Okcheon in 1592, retook Cheongju, and died with some 700 soldiers alongside the monk-general Yeonggyu at the Battle of Geumsan. Their remains rest at Chilbaek Uichong (Tomb of the Seven Hundred), and he is enshrined in the Confucian shrine as one of the Eighteen Sages of Korea.
Founders and lineages are recorded differently across clan records; please confirm in your own jokbo.
Branch divisions vary by lineage and jokbo; confirm your own branch in your family's records.
Jo Heon(righteous-army commander of the Imjin War), Jo Ban(civil official of late Goryeo and early Joseon)
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The 배천 조씨 clan association can be found in the Korean E-Jokbo Library clan-association directory.
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