Sho Ietsugu (庄家次)
Ietsugu SHO (year of birth and death unknown) was a Busho (Japanese military commander) of Kodama party of Musashi Province (He came from present Kurisaki, Honjo City, Saitama Prefecture) from the end of Heian period to the early Kamakura period.
His popular name was Saburo (Jiro in the "Family tree of the seven groups of samurai warriors in Musashi Province")
Afterward, he became the founder of the Bicchu-Sho clan (Sho-clan in Bicchu Province).
Details of becoming the founder of the Bicchu-Sho
Saburoemon Ietsugu SHO was born as the third son of Ienaga SHO, the fifth head of the head family of Kodama party, which means he was properly a warrior in a branch family of the Sho clan. However, as Yoriie SHO (the sixth head of the head family of Kodama party), the legitimate child (elder brother of Ietsugu) of Ienaga was killed young in the Battle of Ichinotani, Ietsugu was adopted into the Yoriie family by Ienaga and ended up succeeding to the seventh head of the head family of Kodama party. Ienaga distinguished himself in the Battle of Ichinotani and was given Jitoshiki (manager and lord of manor) of Kusakabe no sho (manor), Bicchu Province as Onsho (reward grants). Ietsugu decided to go to Bicchu Province (present Okayama Prefecture) to take up his new post of Jito and so left Kurisaki Yakata in the northern part of Kodama County, the base of the head family of the Sho clan. And, he settled down in Bicchu and Ietsugu's family became Bicchu Sho clan.
As a result, it was Tokiie HONJO, the fourth son (younger brother of Ietsugu) of Ienaga who ended up succeeding his father as the head of the head family of Kodama party (Kodama Sho clan) located near the north border and keeping its Kurisaki territory,
He came to use the name Honjo clan (which means a branch family of the Sho clan succeeded the head family of Kodama party).
Descriptions in Azuma Kagami (The Mirror of the East)
Ietsugu appeared for the first time in literature under the name of 'Saburozaemon HONJO' on the May 9, 1249 (around mid 13th century) Section of "Azuma Kagami" about Zassho (a person in charge of miscellaneous tasks) for building Kanin-dono (Kanin Palace) and the name of his younger brother, Shiro-saemonnojo Tokiie also appeared (He seems to have been visiting Kyoto). This was the first and last appearance of Ietsugu's name which can be confirmed. The name of Ietsugu was referred much less than his brother Tokiie, and it is considered because the content of "Azuma Kagami" centered on Togoku (the eastern part of Japan, particularly Kanto region) and Ietsugu who had been active in western Japan had not frequently been recognized. In view of many writing errors for person's names and confusions of "Azuma Kagami", 'Saburoemon SHO' is considered to be correct for his name and 'Saburozaemon HONJO' be wrong. According to "Azuma Kagami," it seems either Ietsugu or Tokiie first used the name of HONJO clan, however, since Ietsugu was active as Bicchu Sho clan, it is considered to have been his younger brother, Tokiie who first used the name of HONJO clan.
Others
According to one view, head family of the Sho clan settled down in Bicchu Province is understood to have been due to better income.
In view of the description of 'HONJO Saburozaemon Nyudo (priest)' in "Azuma Kagami," he seems to have become priest in the mid 13th century.
Tomotsugu HONJO who appeared in "Azuma Kagami" was the legitimate child of Ietsugu and one or more of family tree described Ietsugu => Tomotsugu => Aritsugu HONJO.
"Family tree of the seven groups of samurai warriors in Musashi Province" described him as 'A child (the second son) of Ienaga, Jirozaemon Ietsugu HONJO,' which means there was confusion among legends by various materials.
According to one of various family trees, Yoriie was recorded as being alive and his family tree continued after him. However, this particular family tree cannot be regarded as reliable. This is because the family tree does not represent the family's generational ties correctly, such that Ienaga is incorrectly represented as being the legitimate son of Hirotaka SHO. In view of such mistakes in the legend as the above, the legend of Kodama Sho clan becomes more reliable than that of Bicchu-Sho clan. If Yoriie was killed in battle as in the legend of Kodama Sho clan, the second lord of Sarukake-jo Castle (Bicchu Province) was to be Ietsugu, the third son of Ienaga.
If the legend of Yoriie's having been killed in battle before he obtained his legitimate child was correct, then a person by the name of Yorihusa SHO in the family tree of Bicchu-Sho clan could possibly be one of Ietsugu's sons, which is considered right (Or, it is considered that a fictional name was listed to fill up a vacancy in the family tree).
Although the first family name of Sho clan is said to have been Fujiwara clan, it was the new name obtained by changing its family name after the mid 14th century (after the Kamakura period), and it was properly to be Arimichi clan. The family of the Sho clan used the name of Fujiwara clan to gain a social advantage for their activities in western Japan, and they steamrollered the use of the name making it recognized in an attempt to improve their position. It means the family name of Fujiwara was their new name gained in later ages.