장흥 마씨 family tree

장흥 마씨(長興 馬氏) — A Ma clan tracing its seat-acquiring ancestor to Ma Ryeo, a founding minister of Baekje, and known for Ma Cheon-mok, a Joseon merit subject.

About the 장흥 마씨 clan

A Ma clan tracing its seat-acquiring ancestor to Ma Ryeo, a founding minister of Baekje, and known for Ma Cheon-mok, a Joseon merit subject. In the 2015 Census the 장흥 마씨 clan numbered about 31,886 people, one of Korea's major surnames and clans. Even among people surnamed 마, a different clan seat (bon-gwan, 장흥) means a different lineage. New to these terms? See the bon-gwan, pa & hangnyeol guide.

Roots and History of the Jangheung Ma Clan

The Jangheung Ma clan (長興 馬氏) takes Jangheung County in South Jeolla as its seat. The founder under the seat-acquiring tradition is Ma Ryeo, a founding minister of Baekje. According to the Samguk Sagi he led Onjo in founding Baekje and was given the post of Left Assistant (Jwabo); of the ten founding ministers only Ma Ryeo and Ogan are named there. The Ma Ssi Daedongbo also tells that a progenitor Ma Wan and his son came to Joseon with Gija at the end of the Shang, but that belongs to genealogical tradition and cannot be taken as fact.

The seat was Hoeryeong in early Goryeo and became Jangheung when Hoeryeong was incorporated into Jangheung under Injong. Under Munjong, Ma Hyeon is said to have founded the Mokcheon Ma and Ma Hyeok-in the Jangheung Ma, and English Wikipedia also says the two seats split from one root. The 2015 census counted 31,886 people, up from 23,803 in 1985 and 28,337 in 2000.

Revival in Goryeo and Ma Cheon-mok

Ma Hyeok-in passed the civil examination in 1085 and laid the base for the family's revival; Ma Hui-won passed in 1190 and rose to Munha Sijung Pyeongjangsa; and Ma Jung-gi placed first in 1205 and became Jeongdang Munhak. Ma Cheon-rin retook the capital from the Red Turbans in late Goryeo and became a merit subject. Then the 11th-generation Ma Cheon-mok (1358-1431) distinguished himself in the first and second Princes' Revolts at the founding of Joseon, became a Jwamyeong merit subject and was ennobled Prince of Jangheung, greatly raising the family.

His four sons founded branches: Mungan-gong (Ma Seung), Joeun-gong (Ma Jeon), Hyeongam-gong (Ma Ban) and Champan-gong (Ma Chun). The eldest, Ma Seung, served as governor of Gyeongju and was praised as an upright official.

Main branches (派)

Mungan-gong branch, Joeun-gong branch, Hyeongam-gong branch, Champan-gong branch

Branch divisions vary by lineage and jokbo; confirm your own branch in your family's records.

Notable figures

마려(Baekje founding minister), 마혁인(progenitor), 마희원(chief minister), 마중기(Jeongdang Munhak), 마천린(retook Gaegyeong), 마천목(Jwamyeong merit subject, Prince of Jangheung), 마승(Gyeongju governor), 마계변(civil exam graduate), 마하수(fell at Myeongnyang), 마응방(died at Namwon)

Tap a name for the full profile (life, career, grave, descendants).

Ma Cheon-mok and Jeolla Byeongyeongseong

Ma Cheon-mok followed Jeong Ji, who defeated Japanese raiders in late Goryeo, helped Prince Jeongan (Yi Bang-won) in the first Princes' Revolt in 1398 and became a general, and was named a Jwamyeong merit subject after Taejong's accession in 1401. As Jeolla military commander he is said to have built Jeolla Byeongyeongseong in Gangjin in 1417; the fortress served as the army headquarters overseeing the 53 districts and 6 garrisons of Jeolla until the late Joseon and is now Historic Site No. 397. In 1420, appointed Minister of War, he is said to have been first to argue for the six northern garrisons in his Seongbo-ron memorial. In 1429 he was raised to Prince of Jangheung, and after his death Sejong posthumously made him Chief State Councillor and gave him the title Chungjeong.

Related heritage includes his merit-subject certificate (Treasure No. 1469), the Tomb and Lodge of Ma Cheon-mok in Gokseong (South Jeolla Monument No. 252), Chungjeongsa in Gangjin, and Hwasan Seowon in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang. His tomb and lodge are in Bangsong-ri, Seokgok-myeon, Gokseong, and Hwasan Seowon is said to enshrine Ma Cheon-mok and his son Ma Seung.

Royal Ties and the Righteous Armies

Ma Cheon-mok's maternal granddaughter, Lady Sin of Goryeong (Jangheung Bubuin), is recorded as the mother of Deposed Queen Yun, which places Ma Cheon-mok in the maternal ancestry of Yeonsangun. A consort of Prince Gyeongnyeong, Taejong's illegitimate son, is recorded as of the Gaeseong Ma, but whether that is the Jangheung Ma was not confirmed.

In the Imjin and Chungyu wars Ma Ha-su, who aided Yi Sun-sin, fell at Myeongnyang with four sons, and Ma Eung-bang fought as a volunteer and died at Namwon. Others such as the civil examination graduate Ma Gye-byeon carried on in learning and office around Gangjin and Jangheung.

Settlements

Villages are known at Hakseong-ri in Anyang-myeon, Jangheung; Bangsong-ri in Seokgok, Gokseong; Gundong and Jakcheon in Gangjin; and Yeongnam in Goheung, and the clan is also found in Uiseong, Hapcheon, Uijeongbu, Dangjin and Yangyang. One source says the clan also spread through Hamgyeong in Gilju, Hakseong, Iwon and Bukcheong.

Seat-Acquiring, Founding and Reviving Ancestors

When reading a genealogy it helps to distinguish kinds of founder. The deukgwan sijo is generally the ancestor who first used the seat, the gisejo the first ancestor confirmed in records, and the jungsijo the one who revived a declined family. For the Jangheung Ma, Baekje's founding minister Ma Ryeo is sometimes presented as the seat-acquiring ancestor and Ma Hyeok-in, who took Jangheung as his seat under Munjong, as the gisejo, while some descendants honor Ma Cheon-mok, who raised the family at Joseon's founding, like a reviving ancestor. These terms differ by lineage association and genealogy, so the wording here follows Wikipedia. The generations between Ma Ryeo and Ma Hyeok-in are not confirmed for lack of sources, so please consult clan materials as well.

Not the Mokcheon Ma, and Beware of Names

The Jangheung Ma is said to have split from the Mokcheon Ma but they are different seats. For example, the Yonsei professor and literary scholar Ma Gwang-su (1951-2017) is recorded on Wikipedia as Mokcheon Ma and is not Jangheung Ma. Do not guess a seat just from the surname; verify with your genealogy.

This page lists only people confirmed as Jangheung Ma in open sources such as Korean and English Wikipedia and the Encyclopedia of Korean Culture. Because sources are limited, only some people and branch lineages are presented; for more, see the clan association site (jhma.net) and genealogies.

How to build your 장흥 마씨 tree

1. Start with yourself — sign in to get your own tree. Enter your name, birth year and clan seat (장흥).
2. Add older generations — add parents and grandparents. For accuracy see tracing ancestors with jejeok records (usually to about 5 generations).
3. Link siblings & children — sort by generational name (hangnyeol) to see each generation at a glance.
4. Export & share — save the finished tree as a PDF and invite family to manage it together.

Related reading

장흥 마씨 clan association

The 장흥 마씨 clan association can be found in the Korean E-Jokbo Library clan-association directory.