Dear Volunteer cynoconnor,
Thanks for the ideas and links. I have tried to determine more information that might help, and frankly, I can only guess about some details.
Unfortunately, both Walter and Ellen died before the U.S. Federal census that asked year of immigration.
I believe Walter Cody left Cork as a young adult during the famine about 1848. There might not be trace of him in Cork, Ireland. He married Ellen English in Illinois and I don't know if they knew each other before emigrating. The only travel record that looks close enough to match is for Ellen, and it's LIKELY the right departure (Cork) and destination (New York), name and age and arrival during the year prior to marriage to Walter Cody, no other English aboard [checked image] so she travelled alone which makes some sense for an engaged bride-to-be and thus they might have arranged the marriage before Walter emigrated rather than meeting in America.
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KDXK-23Y
name: Ellen English
event: Immigration
event date: 30 Apr 1849
event place: New York City, New York, New York, United States
gender: Female
age: 28
country or origin of birth: Ireland
occupation: Laborer (Ital. 'operaia') or Workman/Woman
relationship to head of household:
ship: SWAN
estimated birth year: 1821
departure port: CORK
literacy:
residence:
destination: USA
transit or travel compartment:
manifest identification number: 3571
nara publication title: Famine Irish Passenger Record Data File (FIPAS), 1846-1851
arc identifier: 569666
Collection: Ellen English, "United States, Famine Irish Passenger Index, 1846-1851"
Because of the way this couple named their children, I believe Walter's father was Patrick Cody (mother Mary) and Ellen's father was Richard English. These are the names I used for Griffith's searches and found some candidates:
Griffith’s Valuation for surname Cody, 57 in county Cork, although no Walter but perhaps he was young when he emigrated, so tried possible father's name Patrick Cody in Cork and there are three:
(1) Patrick Cody
lessor: Harrison Nason
house, offices & land
Parish Mogeely
(2) Patrick Cody
lessor: Edmund Dunles
garden
Parish Monanimy
(3) Patrick Cody
lessor: James O’Neill
house
Parish Kilmahon
Then for father of Ellen English in Cork and both are listed in Ballymodan parish:
(1) Richard English
landlord Joshua Keymes
house, office, yard and small garden
Parish of Ballymodan
(2) Richard English
landlord James Donovan
house and yard
Parish of Ballymodan
I don't want to waste the time of parish volunteers so I wonder if it is proper to ask for searches with sketchy details? For example, I would ask for a baptism record of Walter Cody, born about 1815, son of Patrick & Mary Cody, in each of the above-listed 3 parishes. Or for Ellen English about 1819 in Ballymodan, daughter of Richard English.
Unless there is some success with such a search, I have little hope of finding more clues.
Thanks for the assistance. I don't want to give up without trying every avenue possible. And I would dearly love to be a success story for irelandxo.
~Betsy