Devlin Family Falls Road

[Gerry Burroughs]

The information I have is Peter Scanlon was already married to this lady and they brought a child from a couple in Belfast ( The father was my Grannies Brother) to Plymouth in 1940 to have it officially adopted but the documents they left   with the City Hall which was bombed and these were lost. Peter Scanlon was about 23 yrs old then when he was marrried to this lady who appears to have been very wealthy and was incapaciated and was in a wheel chair. There isa suggestion he may have been in the Royal Navy but I doubt this as his wife needed care and it may have he worked in the Dock Yards there. They later bought house in Dublin.

[aghadowey]

Was it Plymouth City Hall that was supposed to have been bombed? I can't find any mention of that online.
Belfast City Hall was damaged in 1941 but not sure if any records were lost.

If the child was officially adopted is England would there not be a new birth certificate issue in England with the name of child, date of birth and 'new' parents? You could check the index here-
https://www.freebmd.org.uk/search

Have you looked for Peter Scanlon and wife in 1939 Register?

[Gerry Burroughs]

What I know is the center of Plymouth destroyed in the Bombing along with the documents and when they returned to Dublin that problem was never resolved. A priest considered that because of the childs treatment by this couple recommended she should be removed from them and so she was. Infact they wrote several letters to the effect they lost the documents in a fire in Plymouth. Apparently this couple thought they couldnt have their own children which they did later on  and thats the reason they tried to parent the child. This lady appeared to be a wealthy american who used her money to purchase everything.   

[aghadowey]

Sending PM as this person might still be living.