Heshu Clan

Overview

The Heshu clan is a Manchu surname listed in Volume 58 of the *Comprehensive Genealogy of Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, an official compilation of the Qianlong reign. Their ancestral home was Yehe and Jilin Ula. The Shitu branch of the Bordered White Banner, belonging to the bondservant class, resided in Yehe. The year of their submission is unknown, but it is noted that they were transferred from the Plain White Banner. Shitu himself served as a junior official (YuanWaiLang), his son Sige and grandson Seng'e served as seventh-rank officials, and his grandson Shuose served as a cavalry captain (XiaoQiXiao).

A junior official (YuanWaiLang) was a civil official position in the government, while a cavalry captain (XiaoQiXiao) was a low-ranking military officer in the Eight Banners. The seventh-rank official position only indicates the rank, not the specific office or category of civil or military service. The term "bondservant" (BaoYi) indicates a specific affiliation and does not limit the Shitu family's employment to a single type of service. The transfer from the Plain White Banner to the Bordered White Banner represents a change in banner affiliation and cannot be simply abbreviated to the general term "White Banner."

The Heerxi branch of the Plain Blue Banner, residing in Jilin Ula, belonged to a group withdrawn from the Khorchin during the Kangxi reign. Their submission, bondservant status, and transfer records differ from those of the Shitu branch, which have no record of submission. The genealogy book does not specify the close kinship between the two branches, and the official position or relocation experience of Shitu cannot be attributed to Heerxi based on their shared surname. The specific relocation date, the title of the seventh-rank official, the yamen to which Shitu belonged, and the ancestral settlement still need to be verified by cross-referencing the official records with the original printed edition.