RootsChat.Com

Hello all & thanks for the ideas & suggestions.
Just to update, I finally found my father's birth record after speaking to one of the older family members in Ireland.  They confirmed he was adopted & gave me his original surname.  They did have a document with the info on but that was lost years ago.
Anyway, he was born Patrick Joseph Murphy 17-04-1911, mother Catherine Murphy (supposedly) of Glenbrook Ave, Belfast.  But there is no Catherine Murphy recorded on 1911 census at Glenbrook Ave.  So still a lot of investigating to do.

Well, I had a light bulb moment.
I knew there was a relation still in the area, but couldn't get in touch with them.
So I went on to www.192 bought a few credits and searched for the name of the cousin.
Found just the one name in the area, called the phone number and it was her!!
I just wish I'd done this years ago.

She has just confirmed my dad was adopted.
Originally called Murphy from a Belfast home/orphanage.
I'd have never found that out if I lived to be 100.

Thanks to everyone for their help & suggestions, it was greatly appreciated.

So now I start a new search.
It's so addictive, just as well I enjoy it.

Presumably, that's Aghagallon, County Armagh?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aghagallon

Hi KGarrad.
Yes, it would have been, or at least in that area.

Hi Aghadowey

There's a family storey that dad was raised by his "sister" Lizzie Lavery.
Lizzie Creaney had married James Lavery.
Someone on RC very kindly managed to put me in touch with one of Lizzie's grandchildren, Nick, and Nick's mum remember's visiting my dad in Bristol in the 1960's and her husband referred to my dad as his cousin (I think Lizzie was a young aunty rather than his sister).
I also remember a cousin of dad's called Noel Lavery coming to visit us when I was little.
So I know there is a definite connection here.

Nick has told me his grandma Lizzie Creaney was the youngest child in this particular family.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai001583372/

So I'm now trying to document a link back from Lizzie to check this is the right family.

My feeling is it's possible that my granddad may have been William John in this family, but known to the family as simply John.
Or as you say my dad may have used his granddad's name for his marriage certificate which also fits.

I think I'm close to cracking it, just need a few bits to fall into place.
A birth certificate would just make everything a whole lot simpler.

Checking school registers sounds like a good idea.
But again it depends on me getting across to Proni to do it.

Thanks again for all the suggestions.