Hi Tara,
I've found Birth and Death certificates for many of their children, that list the names and places of both parent's birth, and Peter Connell has consistently shown up as Ireland.
For Margaret Burns though, I've found Ireland, England, Scotland (once) and Canada (once).
From a couple of family stories, Margaret & Peter were married around 16 or 17. it was told they were married around 1838, before they left Ireland. From Ireland, they went to England, and stayed there for a while, before coming to the US.
Their oldest child Mary, was baptized, along with her younger sister Elizabeth, in 1843 at a Delaware RC church. It listed Mary's birthdate as 1841, and Elizabeth's as 1843.
This is first actual documentation I can find that definitely places them in the US. I have found claims of Mary being born in Pennsylvania, they lived there for a few years, but I haven't been able to find her BC.
So, I know they left from Dublin to go to Liverpool. If they left in 1838, I can't find any documentation that places them anywhere between 1838 and 1843.
I only have word of mouth claims, that Mary was born in Pennsylvania, in 1841.
I found an advertisement from the Boston Pilot's Lost Friends and Family. My great-great grandfather Peter Connell, was searching for John Burns. He doesn't state the relationship, but I tend to believe he is related to Margaret. Most likely a brother.
I also found an ad where John Burns was searching for a Thomas Burns who arrived in Canada and who also came from Maryborough, but I can't definitely connect this John to the one Peter was searching for.
So I'm wondering if Peter and Margaret left Ireland, went to England, immigrated to Canada, and then to the US. And this is why all the contradictory information regarding Margaret's birth.
I have no idea where Scotland came from.
Also, Peter was definitely a Catholic, but there was a Burns family in Pennsylvania, that Margaret was rumored to be related to and they were Presbyterian. So I think Margaret was too, before she married Peter.
Here is the ad from the Boston Pilot. It has better information than I gave.
Thanks for the help.
Colleen