宋代較有名的家族，如真定韓氏，安陽韓氏，□ 中陳氏，澶州晁氏，河內向氏，晉江曾式，鄱陽洪氏，都是以應舉中進士起家，然後步入仕途，力爭上游，官至丞相、樞使，門第即時顯榮，其子孫多能克家，或在仕途上求發展，亦有再世為宰相者。或轉而走學術路子，乃逐漸形成一種家學，歷五六代而不衰，則知古人所謂：「君子之澤五世而斬」，對宋代學術世家而言，如新喻劉氏，並不是十分恰當的。 新喻劉氏的興起，自劉氏始，式自少年時即力學，十八時入白鹿洞書院讀書，考中明經第一，雖年未五十即逝世，但式之夫人陳氏能將其家藏書聚於墨莊，教五子立本、立言、立之、立禮和立德勤讀之，後皆相繼登進士。立之之子敞和攽又連登進士，以經史之學見重於士大夫。敞子奉世承襲家學，兩代同治《漢書》、《後漢書》，時稱三劉。到南宋孝宗時，立德的玄孫靖之和清之兄弟從事教育工作，由治經史而轉向性理之學，為朱熹之講友。同時，攽之曾孫龜年，與清之為兄弟行，亦講慎獨、正心之要，龜年子孟容又師事朱熹，其家學至此亦純尚理學了。 約自唐紹宗初年，至南宋寧宗之世，凡歷三百餘年，新喻劉氏以相傳至十一代，略可以考其世系人物，皆有史料可據。自劉式以下，其子孫連續三代都有中進士的，至第五世孫又相繼登科為名儒，赫然為江西一著名世家。今日吾輩論述宋代譜學，重在考明某一州縣之某一名族的世系和家風、家學，以說明其所以為名族之故，則在於世道人心之教益亦足以突顯了！

The Hans of Chen-din, the Hans of An-yang, the Chens of Lang-chung, the Chaos of Chan-chou, the Hsians of Ho-nei, the Tsens of Chin-Kiang, and the Hungs of Po-yang were all famous families in the Sung Dynasty, who acquired prominent positions in the range of politics by means of civil service examination. Many of them were developed to learning, establishing a reputation of scholarly pursuits that lasted for several generations. The old proverb that a gentleman's achievements will never be matched by this posterity of the fifth generation' is not the case during the Sung period. The scholarly fame of the Lius of Hsin-yu was first built by Liu Shih. Liu Shih entered the natonally known academy called Pai-lu-don at the age of 18. He won the first place in the Min-chin competition. Liu Shih passed away in his late forties. His wife carried on her husband's intellectual commitment and educated their five sons so well that all of them obtained their titles of Chin-shih. Liu Shih's grandsons Liu Chan and Liu Bin, both conferred the degrees of Chin-shih, and Liu Chan's son Liu Fon-shih were all distinguished specialists in Han Shu (History of the Han Dynasty) and Ho Han Shu (History of the Eastern Han Dynasty). Their descendants Liu Chin-chi and Liu Ching-chi, in the Southern Sung period, were very renowned for their research on historical and philosophical subjects. The Lius of the later time devoted themselves completely to the study of philosophy and followed the great scholar Chu Shi. The Lius' celebrity for academic achievement lasted as long as three centuries, including 11 generations. There were members of the first three generations since Liu Shih who were titled Chin-shih, thus securing the Liu family in the Kiang-hsi province fame for intellectual interests. This article is aimed to show how the Lius achieved such remarkable accomplishments and how they set a good example to those who tried to win promotion by academic efforts.