Sim Jeon (沈銓, 15201 – 15892) was a civil official of mid-Joseon. His courtesy name was Sukpyeong (叔平)3, and his family seat was Cheongsong (靑松). He was the third son of Sim Dalwon (沈達源) and the father of Sim Useung. The first wife of Heo Gyun (Gyosan), the Andong Kim clan, was his maternal granddaughter.
Life
In 1543 (the 38th year of King Jungjong), in the Gyemyo (癸卯) regular civil service examination, he passed the Saengwon examination and became a Saengwon. In the same year he passed the Jinsa examination again, placing second, and became a Jinsa. He immediately entered Seonggyungwan to study. In 1546 (the 1st year of King Myeongjong), in the Byeongo (丙午) regular civil service examination, he passed the civil service examination, ranking 13th in the Byeonggwa (丙科) division. In 1556 (the 11th year of King Myeongjong), in the Byeongjin (丙辰) special examination, he ranked 2nd in the Eulgwa (乙科) division and passed the civil service examination.
In 1548 (the 3rd year of King Myeongjong) he was appointed Jeojak of Hongmungwan. In April 1548, as Jeongja of Hongmungwan, together with Hongmungwan Vice Director Lee Myeong (李蓂), Director Gyeong Hon (慶渾), Jeonhan Lee Sejang (李世璋), Eungyo Hong Dam (洪曇), Vice Eungyo Kim Ju (金澍), and Gyori Jeong Yugil (鄭惟吉) and Yun Ok (尹玉), he submitted a memorial requesting the punishment of the powerful minister Lee Gi (李芑).
In July 1548 he served as Jeojak of Hongmungwan, in January 1549 as Hongmungwan Baksa, in March as Vice Suchan, in April again as Vice Suchan, and in June as Jo-ijwa-rang of the Ministry of Personnel. In April 1550 he was Vice Suchan, and in May he served as Vice Suchan of Hongmungwan. At this time, together with Hongmungwan Jikjehak Hong Dam and Jeonhan Yun Ok, he impeached the powerful official Jin Bokchang (秦福昌). In June 1550 he became Jo-ijwa-rang of the Ministry of Personnel (吏曹佐郞), and in 1552 he recommended Lee Gam (李戡) as his successor as Jo-ijwa-rang and he was appointed.
In 1553 he was Vice Eungyo, and in August 1555 he served as Jeong of Naejasi (內資寺正). Meanwhile, he was greedy and, by using every scheme, seized the male and female slaves (臧獲) and fields and houses (田宅) of others. He occupied many slaves and tenant commoners (丁民) who paid rent, and widely expanded his fields and gardens to accumulate wealth.4 After that, he became Jeong of Jangakwon (掌樂院正). In the intercalary 11th month of that year, he tried to buy back slaves that Hwang Yunhyeong (黃允亨) had sold to An Huijeung (安希曾), and to this end he pressured Hwang Yunhyeong to annul the contract. He was impeached by the Office of the Censors of Saganwon and, after being investigated, was dismissed from office.
In May 1558 he became Vice Chief Secretary of the Right, and in the same year he became a Chamchan-gwan. In May of that year he pointed out the harm of reckless memorials.
Recently, many people, harboring hopes of getting something by luck, submit memorials citing precedents and seek special rewards for even the slightest merit. Some quarrel in the village over matters still under litigation and not yet decided, and even impolite words are all submitted in memorials, troubling Your Majesty's perusal. Your Majesty, worrying that injustices may exist and wishing to convey the intentions of subordinates, has ordered them to be handed down to the relevant offices. When I was previously a magistrate, I saw that among the crafty, those who plan to delay litigation invariably submit petitions to the throne, and because of this many lawsuits close to judgment have been halted. Moreover, the governor is the master of a province, so people with genuine injustices already have a place to seek redress, yet many who recklessly submit complaints and, under the pretext of petitions to the throne, disgrace magistrates. I consider this improper.
In July 1558 he became Right Vice Chief Secretary of the Royal Secretariat, and in October he became Left Vice Chief Secretary. In 1559 he reached Left Vice Chief Secretary, but in February of that year he was impeached by the Saheonbu for delays in transmitting royal orders, was investigated, and was transferred out of his post. In February 1559 he became Byeongjo Chamjī, but the Office of the Censors impeached him, saying that he had been transferred due to failure to properly perform the duties of a royal secretary and was then appointed to his former post again, and he was subsequently removed. In March he became Chamui of the Ministry of Rites, in May Chamjī of the Ministry of War, and in September a Dangsang of the Bibyeonsa, where he deliberated on the matter of mourning for the mother of the queen, Lady Lee, and on the capture of Japanese ships.5
In 1564 he was sent out as Gyeonggi Province Governor. However, in 1565 he resigned as governor of Gyeonggi due to his mother's death and withdrew to Gimpo (金浦), where he was criticized for holding an extravagant funeral. In 1566 he was impeached for indulging private desires, but the king, judging dismissal to be excessive, let the matter drop.
In November of that year, under another person's name, he submitted a petition to the Saheonbu, and he also wrote on a small paper and sent it to Daenyeon's house, which caused public controversy.
Afterwards he was restored to office and became Dongji, but in October 1567 (the accession year of King Seonjo), the censors impeached him on the grounds that he was treacherous and greedy and had committed the crime of seizing others' property. He was stripped of his official rank and banished beyond the gate (門外黜送).
After the accession of Seonjo, public opinion favoring amnesty emerged, and in intercalary June 1569 Seonjo attempted to reinstate him, but the Saheonbu requested that the order of reinstatement be withdrawn.
In August 1582 he was impeached by the Saheonbu for not understanding the proper propriety of receiving a substitute tilling (代耕). In June 1588 his son, the Jinsa Sim Ujun (沈友俊), submitted a petition to the throne stating that his father's dismissal had been unjust. In the same month, through the consideration of Seonjo, he had his official rank certificate returned, but due to the continued impeachments by the Saheonbu, it was eventually revoked.
Posthumous honors
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As his son Sim Useung (沈友勝) was recorded among the Hoseong Merit Subjects (扈聖功臣), he was recorded as a Sunchung Jeokdeok Bojo Merit Subject (純忠積德補祚功臣), was posthumously granted the title Prince Consort of Cheongpa (靑坡府院君), and was posthumously appointed Chief State Councillor.
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During the reign of Gwanghaegun, his illegitimate son Sim Uyeong (沈友英) instigated the Chilseo Incident and the Gyechuk Incident (癸丑禍獄). Sim Uyeong was said to be a maternal cousin of Heo Gyun and was very close to him. It is highly probable that Hong Gildong, the protagonist of Hong Gildong written by Heo Gyun, was also modeled on Sim Uyeong, an illegitimate son.
Family relations recorded in the epitaph of Sim Dalwon
- Great-grandfather – Sim Won (沈湲, ? – 1467)6: Naejasi Pangwan (內資寺判官), posthumously Jwachanseong (左贊成), died in the rebellion of Yi Sae-ae (李施愛)
- Grandfather – Sim Sunmun (沈順門, 1465 – 1504): Insa (舍人), posthumously Yeongeuijeong (領議政)
- Father – Sim Dalwon (沈達源, 1494 – 1535): Jwatongrye (左通禮), posthumously Minister of Personnel (吏曹判書)
- Mother – daughter of Yun Hui-in (尹希仁, 1465 – ?), Jeonju Buyun (全州府尹)
- Elder brother – Sim Jin (沈鎭)6: Sabokshi Cheomjeong (司僕寺僉正)
- Elder brother – Sim Ja (沈鎡)6: Seongongam Cheomjeong (繕工監僉正), posthumously Jwachanseong (左贊成), father of Sim Woojeong (沈友正, 1546 – 1599)
- Younger brother – Sim Su (沈鐩)6: Gokssan Dohobusa (谷山都護府使), posthumously Minister of Personnel (吏曹判書)
- Wife – daughter of Lee Han (李翰)7
- Eldest son – Sim Useon (沈友善, 1541 – ?)7
- Second son – Sim Ujun (沈友俊, 1547 – 1604)7: Jinsa (進士), father of Sim Aek (沈詻, 1571 – 1654)
- Third son – Sim Useung (沈友勝, 1551 – 1602): Governor of Gyeonggi Province (京畿道觀察使), posthumously Chief State Councillor (領議政), Prince Consort of Cheonggye (靑溪府院君)
- Fourth son – Sim Upun (沈友醇)7
- Illegitimate son – Sim Uyeong (沈友英, ? – 1613)
- Eldest son-in-law – Kim Gwangdu (金光斗)7
Family relations recorded in the genealogy of the Cheongsong Sim clan
His great-grandfather was Sim Chi (沈淄), his grandfather was Sim Hyeong (沈泂), and his father was Sim Dalwon (沈達源), one of the Eminent Scholars of the Gimyo Purge (己卯名賢), who was posthumously appointed Minister of Personnel during the reign of Yeongjo. His mother was the daughter of Yun Hui-in (尹希仁), Vice Minister of Personnel, of the Paju Yun clan (坡平尹氏). Sim Yeonwon and Sim Tongwon were his paternal uncles, and Prince Consort Cheongneung Sim Gang was his cousin, and he was the great-uncle (five generations removed) of Sim Uigyeom, Sim Chunggyeom, and Queen Inseon. He was the father of Sim Useung, Chief State Councillor, posthumously Prince Consort of Cheonggye (靑溪府院君), and Governor of Gyeonggi Province. He married Jeonui Lee (全義 李氏), daughter of Lee Han (李翰).
- Fifth-generation ancestor: Sim On
- Biological great-great-grandfather: Sim Hoe
- Adoptive great-great-grandfather: Sim Jun (Yeongjungchwonsa)
- Biological great-grandfather: Sim Won (Naejasi Pangwan, posthumously Jwachanseong)
- Adoptive great-grandfather: Sim Chi (沈淄, Hansung Buypan)
- Adoptive great-grandmother: Suncheon Kim clan (順天 金氏) – granddaughter of Left State Councillor Kim Jong-seo (金宗瑞), daughter of Chamui Kim Seunggyu (金承珪)
- Biological grandfather: Sim Sunmun
- Adoptive grandfather: Sim Hyeong (沈泂, Geumcheon Hyeongam, posthumously Byeongjo Chamui)
- Adoptive grandmother: Dongnae Jeong clan (東萊 鄭氏) – granddaughter of Chief State Councillor Jeong Changson (鄭昌孫), daughter of Left State Councillor Jeong Gwal (鄭佸)
- Paternal uncle: Sim Yeonwon
- Father: Sim Dalwon – Originally the second son of Sim Sunmun, adopted into the family of Sim Hyeong (沈泂)
- Mother: Posthumously granted rank of Jeongbuin Paju Yun clan – daughter of Yun Hui-in (尹希仁), Vice Minister of Personnel
- Elder brother: Sim Jin (沈鎭) – Magistrate of Imcheon County
- Nephew: Sim Umyeong
- Nephew: Sim Ugong
- Elder brother: Sim Ja (沈鎡) – Cheomjeong of Seongongam, posthumously Jwachanseong
Evaluation and criticism
When he was sent as an envoy to Gwanseo (關西), he extorted goods from the various counties, returning with carts loaded full, and people looked upon him with contempt.8
Miscellaneous
He was close to Jo Sushu (趙士秀) and others, but when their relationship later soured, Jo Sushu criticized him, saying, "Sim Yeonwon, the Chief State Councillor, hates me because of Sim Jeon."9
Notes