Songjeong Head House Historical Documents, Jinju

These are historical documents held by the Songjeong head house of the Jinyang Ha clan in Jinju, comprising 108 items in total: three property-division deeds (bunjaegi); one certified document (ipan) relating to a lawsuit over slaves; nine documents relating to household registers; fourteen land sale contracts; fifty-four petitions, complaints and itemised documents (soji, deungjang, pummok); twelve documents comprising official permits, regulations, directives, complaints and promissory notes (wanmun, jeolmok, jeollyeong, sosa, sugi); eleven documents comprising condolence letters, elegies and eulogies (wijang, manjang, jemun); and four documents relating to appointments and adoption certification (gyehu ipan). There are three bunjaegi in the collection, dated 1547, 1610 and 1624. Bunjaegi from before the 16th century are rare nationwide, and it is almost unprecedented for several such documents, spanning generations down to the early 17th century, to survive together, which makes this collection especially valuable. The certified document relating to a lawsuit over slaves (1635) is, in connection with the bunjaegi, an important record that vividly shows how slaves were passed down through later generations and managed, and what actions slaves took in resistance to their masters. It is also enormous in scale, measuring 11 metres in length. The household-register documents number nine in total: eight hogudanja (household registration statements) and one junhogu (certified household register, 1721, for Ha Yun-cheong). Most date from the 19th century, though three are from the 18th century. Most surviving hogudanja today are single sheets, so it is notable that five of the hogudanja in this collection are unusually bound in booklet form. There are fourteen land sale contracts in total, including two paeja (letters of authorisation) by which a master delegated authority to a slave to conduct a land sale. They range in date from the late 17th century to the 19th century. Since the buyer named in many of the documents is Daegak Seowon (a Confucian academy), it is presumed that these documents concern land belonging to that academy. There are also a considerable number of documents relating to Obangjae, connected with the graves of Ha Ryun (1347-1416) and his son; documents concerning grave-site disputes (sansong) relating to the 'Three Masters' - Ha Rak (1530-1592), Ha Hang (1538-1590) and Ha Su-il - and the filial son Ha Se-hui (1647-1686); and petitions and complaints (soji, deungjang) relating to tax and labour-service exemptions for their sacrificial land (juwito). There are also numerous other related documents, including official permits, regulations, directives, testimonies and promissory notes; condolence letters, elegies and eulogies; and papers relating to appointments and adoption certification. Many of these documents date from the 19th century, but a good number are also from the 17th and 18th centuries. Of particular note among them are chacheop (letters of appointment) issued to officials holding regular office: chacheop issued to prisoners, byeolgam (minor functionaries) or hyangni (local clerks) - that is, to people who did not hold regular office - are commonly found, but chacheop issued to officials of regular rank are rarely found. The collection of historical documents held by the Songjeong head house of the Jinyang Ha clan in Sagok-ri, Jinju, is important academic material for the study of local history of the Joseon period, as well as for understanding the cultural history of the Jinju region as a whole.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Jinju, Gyeongnam

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산