The following genealogical sketch was compiled in 1897:
It is not generally known that genuine royal blood courses in Colonel Cody's veins. He is a lineal descendant of Milesius, king of Spain, that famous monarch whose three sons, Heber, Heremon, and Ir, founded the first dynasty in Ireland, about the beginning of the Christian era.
The Cody family comes through the line of Heremon. The original name was Tireach, which signifies "The Rocks." Muiredach Tireach, one of the first of this line, and son of Fiacha Straivetine, was crowned king of Ireland, Anno Domini 320.
Another of the line became king of Connaught, Anno Domini 701. The possessions of the Sept were located in the present counties of Clare, Galway, and Mayo. The names Connaught-Gallway, after centuries, gradually contracted to Connallway, Connellway, Connelly, Conly, Cory, Coddy, Coidy, and Cody, and is clearly shown by ancient indentures still traceable among existing records.
On the maternal side, Colonel Cody can, without difficulty, follow his lineage to the best blood of England. Several of the Cody family emigrated to America in 1747, settling in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The name is frequently mentioned in Revolutionary history. Colonel Cody is a member of the Cody family of Revolutionary fame. Like the other Spanish-Irish families, the Codys have their proof of ancestry in the form of a crest. The lion signifies Spanish origin. It is the same figure that forms a part of the royal coat-of-arms of Spain to this day-Castile and Leon. The arm and cross denote that the descent is through the line of Heremon, whose posterity were among the first to follow the cross, as a symbol of their adherence to the Christian faith.
This story of William F. Cody's ancestory was written by his sister Helen Wetmore Cody. According to Don Russell in "The Lives and Lengends of Buffalo Bill", Buffalo Bill was not descended from Irish Kings, nor from Italian condottieri, as Mussolini's propaganda agency claimed. Many of the stories above apparantly came from his Grandmother Lydia Martin. William F. Cody's ancestory is shown below.
Ahnentafel of William Frederick Cody
--- 1st Generation ---
1. William Frederick Cody
Birth: 26 Feb 1846, Le Clair, Scott County, Iowa.
Marriage: 06 Mar 1866, Louise Frederici; Home of Louise's parents, St. Louis, St. Louis County, Missouri.
Death: 10 Jan 1917, Denver, Denver County, Colorado.
Burial: 14 Jan 1917, Lookout Mountain, Golden, Jefferson County, Colorado.
--- 2nd Generation ---
2. Isaac Cody
Birth: 15 Sep 1811, Toronto Township, Peel County, Canada.
Marriage: 1834, Martha Miranda O'Connor; Ohio.
Marriage: 1836, Rebecca Sumner; Ohio.
Marriage: 1840, Mary Ann Laycock; Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio.
Death: 1857, Le Clair, Scott County, Iowa.
3. Mary Ann Laycock
Birth: c 1827, Pennsylvania.
Marriage: 1840, Isaac Cody; Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio.
Death: 20 Nov 1863, Ft. Leavenworth, Leavenworth County, Kansas.
Burial: 22 Nov 1863, Pilot Knob Cemetery, Pilot Knob, Leavenworth County, Kansas.
--- 3rd Generation ---
4. Phillip Cody
Birth: 1770
Marriage: 1800, Lydia Martin
5. Lydia Martin
Marriage: c 1800, Phillip Cody
Birth: c 1827, Oregon County, Missouri.
Death: c 1859, Missouri.
6. Samuel Laycock
Marriage: Hannah Taylor
7. Hannah Taylor
Marriage: Samuel Laycock
Death: 1830
--- 4th Generation ---
8. Philip Cody
Marriage: Abigail Emerson
Birth: c Sep 1729
Death: 1808
9. Abigail Emerson
Marriage: Philip Cody
--- 5th Generation ---
16. Joseph CODY
Birth: 12 Aug 1700, Beverly, Essex County, Massachusetts.
Marriage: 1722, Mary Martin
Death: Jan 1756, Hopkinton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.
17. Mary Martin
Birth: c 1705, Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts.
Marriage: 1722, Joseph CODY
Death: 23 Nov 1762, Hopkinton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.
--- 6th Generation ---
32. Philippe Le Caude
Birth: 23 Aug 1668, Island of Jersey, England.
Marriage: 15 Sep 1692, Martha Le Brocq; Parish of St. Brelades, St. Brelades, Island of Jersey, England.
Death: 1743, Hopkinton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.
33. Martha Le Brocq
Birth: 1668, Island of Guernsey, England
Marriage: 15 Sep 1692, Philippe Le Caude; Parish of St. Brelades, St. Brelades, Island of Jersey, England.
--- 7th Generation ---
64. Philippe Le Caude
Birth: 1637, Island of Jersey, England
Death: 1688, Island of Jersey, England
--- 8th Generation ---
128. Abraham Le Caude
Birth: 1610, Island of Jersey, England.
Death: 1676, Island of Jersey, England.
--- 9th Generation ---
256. Nicollas Le Caude
Birth: 1560, Island of Jersey, England.
Death: 1620, Island of Jersey, England.
--- 10th Generation ---
512. Jean Le Caude
Birth: 1530, Island of Jersey, England.
Death: 1590, Island of Jersey, England.
--- 11th Generation ---
1024. Raulin Le Caude
Birth: 1500, Island of Jersey, England.
Death: 1578, Island of Jersey, England.
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