Page 91 - Gan's Family History

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descendants to the 27 generation, Yan Ping, for use in the updated
th
at the last count. generation cycle as a continuation of
the word-line FANG were namely:-
Of the earlier twenty generations’  Tzu 25 generation
th
chronicle table, only four Chinese  Yao 26 generation
th
characters remained to be used.  Chen 27 generation
th
They were: -  Kuang 28 generation
th
1. YU, reserved for the 17  Yun 29 generation
th
th
generation descendants,  Chang 30 generation
th
2. SHIH to denote the 18  Yung 31 generation
th
st
generation rank  Shou 32 generation
nd
3. CHI the 19 generation row  Yu 33 generation
th
rd
and, lastly th
th
4. CHING the 20 generation  Yun 34 generation
th
line.  I 35 generation
th
These remaining four seating orders  Chang 36 generation
would have been filled within four
decades and ended with the 20 A new method of fixing the name of a
th
generation word-line CHING, had not male child within the Yan clan was
forefather Yan Cheng Feng coined devised by granduncle Yan Ping and
another couplet of four new Chinese put into practice at the start of the
st
characters, namely:- Chao Word-line21 generation row.
1. CHAO For members of this generation,
2. MEI the word-line Chao would be used as
3. LUN and their middle name and placed above
4. FANG; their individual personal name.
nd
th
for the future 21 to 24 generation For the next 22 generation
st
descendants to be named after. descendants, their common word-
line Mei would be placed below that
Granduncle Yan Ping, the family of their individual given name.
historian in his lifetime, conducted a This rotation was called for to
close examination of the eight words prevent a recurrence of the mistake
generation cycle, and, with the made by the earlier generations in
consent and agreement of his peers, the Hui Chou county branch,
he undertook to compose three other Kuangtung province, not knowing
couplets of Four Chinese characters their generation amongst fellow
in each set to those already compiled kinsmen.
by ancestor Yan Cheng Feng long
ago.
He confirmed that the list of eight Establishment of the ancestral
Chinese characters, beginning with shrine, Jade Hall of a rich and
the word YU and ending with FANG powerful family at Chien Chia, Hou
was correct and clear. Tang hamlet, Ho Hu village, Tung An
The three new stanzas of sixteen county
new words authorized by granduncle