Henry Cody  (1847-1906)   South Border Plot 1 Grave 87

 Henry Cody committed suicide in his basement apartment at 216 West 36th Street in New York City at the age of 60. He had had some success in a tobacco business in the Theatre District and later on with a string of laundry businesses. Unfortunately, he had a weakness for gambling on horse races and billiards and it finally left him penniless.  On April 5, 1906 in his dark basement apartment, he purposely turned on the gas jets on the stove and killed himself.

 Among his possessions were found were a series of letters. These letters revealed that his sister was Marie Corelli, the Victorian author.  Marie Corelli was widely known throughout the world as the writer of such Gothic novels such as  “Romance of Two Worlds,” and “The Sorrows of Satan.”  She was notorious for being a man hater and was quoted in the newspapers all the time. She claimed to be the daughter of Count Corelli. In reality she created a persona for herself. She was born Marie Cody, daughter of an English mechanic. Her two younger brothers were Henry and Sydney. Her father also had gambling debts and allowed his daughter to be adopted at a young age to Dr. and Mrs. Charles Mackay. Charles was a Scottish poet and Marie picked up her talents from him. Some sources have Charles having an illicit affair with a housekeeper and Marie is their child.

 When Marie became better known, she changed her name and became Marie Corelli. Her ties to her family disappeared. When Henry passed away, she denied she even knew him. He letters in his room confirmed her was her brother, but she denied it. After a little while the curiosity died down but was rehashed when her mom died and Sydney, the other brother came out with the truth. Marie died at age 60 in England and many of her bios today are incorrect about her real identity.