McConnan/McConnell

[mjsmart90]

I'm trying to locate the area of Ireland that my ancestors came from and not having much luck so far.

What I know so far is that James McConnan (or McConnen) married Susan Clarke in 1868 in a Catholic church in Dundee, Scotland, both aged 22. The marriage certificate is really poor quality but he was the son of James and Ann McConnan, whose maiden name looks almost like it says Leitch. Susan was the daughter of Thomas Clarke and Susan Smith (although her death certificate says something else illegible, something like Susan Carlan)

James and Susan's first son was born in Dundee as James McConnan but sometime in the 1870s the family name was changed to McConnell (not sure why) and they moved to West Calder in Midlothian. None of the census records give more detail than James and Susan being born in Ireland, and their ages vary a lot but presumably they were born between 1845 - 1850.

I was hoping for some advice or some answers on their birthplace or their parents, as I can't seem to get the hang of researching Irish records!

Thanks,
Michael