The Codd Family [Gen-023]

Note regarding the Codd family

[Editor, 2025: The entry in the Table of Contents is as the title above, but the heading on the page is actually Note regarding the Codd family]

The Codd family arrived in Ireland at the time of the Norman invasion in the 12th Century. Like many of the Normans they became more Irish than the Irish themselves and in the "Census of Ireland, circa 1659" (Edited by Seumas Pender and published by the Stationery Office, Dublin, 1939) the families named Codd are listed as Irish rather than English.

The following are extracts from the Census mentioned above:

Nicholas Codd, Esq. is mentioned in "Poll-Money Ordinance of 1661" as one of the Commissioners appointed to put the ordinance into force in Co. Wexford. (See Page 640 of Census of Ireland mentioned above.)

Until the middle of the nineteenth century at least, the people of the Barony of Forth used a dialect peculiar to themselves, as did the residents in the Barony of Bargy.

In 1788 General Vallencey visited the area (See 2nd Volume of Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy). He remarked

This colony have preserved their ancient manners, customs and language and fully occupying every inch of ground the natives could never obtain a re-establishment therein. As the population increased some of the English have been obliged to remove into the neighbouring baronies within these fifty years and by intercourse with the Irish the language of these emigrants became corrupted and these by their connections with their kindred remaining in the Baronies of Bargy and Forth have in some measure introduced their corrupted dialect there'

The General mentions the name "Cod" as being amongst the names of the old colonists at that date.

The Right Reverend Dr. Russell said at the meeting of the British Association in August, 1857

I venture therefore to conclude that the Barony of Forth language is a lineal descent of the English introduced by the first settlers, modernised in forms and also, though in a less degree, in its vocabulary ...

In 1891 Dr. Mitchell, Inspector of Registration, wrote

... it is only amongst the most illiterate that any considerable number of words of their old dialect is now used....

... of the surnames given by Vallancey.... (some) have spread all over the county and beyond. The names Codd ... once very common in the town of Wexford ...

The mother of [Thomas] Moore, the famous Irish songwriter, (1779 - 1852) was according to the "Insight" programme on Radio Tefefís Éireann (RTÉ) on 31st December, 1979, a "Codd" from Wexford.

Editor's addition, 2025
The baronies of Forth and Bargy are referenced in the song John Kelly of Killane, written to commemorate the centenary of the 1798 Rebellion.