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#28 28. TERAO SHIGETSUNE'S DEVISE TO HIS SON SHIGEMICHI,1277 (A copy in Terao docs.; also KK, VIII.) " 'Monogram of Taira no Ason, Governor of Sagami.'1 "THE domains devised To the eldest son Iya-shiro Shigemichi:- "In Sagami kuni: Terao mura in Shibuya Upper sho. All with the expention of Taketsuru's share shall be the heir-general's2 share. The boundaries on the four sides are stated in the original letter of devise. "In Ise kuni: Dai-ku-den of Mida, to which is added the remainder of Taka- yanagi. P157 "In Satsuma kuni: To-no-hara mura, in Iriki in. The boundaries on the four sides are stated in the original letter of devise. "In Sagami kuni: Ban-to-zhi's house (zai-ke) and one cho of ta, in Okami go. Shibuya Saemon Zhiro-saburo nyu-do and Myo-ren's deed of sale and the [sho- gun's] writ of investiture accompany this. "Since the aforesaid places are Jo-Butsu's hereditary holdings(sho-ryo), they are hereby devised for all time to the eldest son Shigemichi. "Ken-chi 3 y. 9 m. 13 d. [10 October 1277]. Jo-Butsu,monogram. "As testimony for the future, this letter is written with my own hand; letters written by another hand shall be invalid."
1 Monogram of Hojo Tokimune, the regent, sanctioning the devise. 2 So-ryo. The word applied to a person who, whether as heir or as official, had general super- vision over his peers in the given situation. As heir, the so-ryo, heres principalis, in this period in- herited only a major part of his father's estate, but, since he was usually the eldest son, assumed general oversight of the juridical affairs of his brothers and sisters and all the members of the house- hold. It was not until the later period, when the rule of primogeniture had been gradually estab- lished, that the word came to be taken to signify the eldest child and sole heir.