Alexander Stewart married Mary Ann Wright 1849 Banbridge. Fathers Robert Stewart & Alexander Wright

I presume you have a copy of the 1849 marriage certificate? (If you don’t the marriage took place on 13.12.1849 and you can get a copy on-line from GRONI). If you do have a copy, please post details of the couples townlands (addresses); their occupations, their fathers names and occupations and the specific church  and denomination where the marriage took place. All of this information should be on the marriage cert. That will enable me to advise you what records may be available for you to search next.

Hi Jean & Elwyn

Here's the record from rootsireland:

Date of Marriage:13-Dec-1849
Parish / District:BANBRIDGE
County:Co. Down
Husband AlexanderStuart Address:Strannaghan Denomination:Presbyterian Occupation:FARMERFull Age (Over 21)Status:Widower (Male)
WifeName: MaryWright Strannhaghan Presbyterian Age:Full Age (Over 21) Spinster (Previously unmarried)
Husband's Father RobertStuart Occupation:FARMER
Wife's Father Name : AlexanderWright  FARMER
 Address:
Denomination:
Husband's Mother
Wife's MotherName:
Address:
Denomination:
Occupation:
Witness 1 Name:WilliamWright
Witness 2 JohnMcKeown
Address:
Notes:

Church: DRUMGOOLAND Presbyterian
BY LICENCE REV T W REID.

Col

I think the townland where the 2 families lived was Shannaghan. Looking at Griffiths Valuation for 1863 I see Alexander Stewart listed there on plot 20. A farm with 5 acres. That property today is accessed down a small lane of the Kilkinamurry Rd, which is just outside Katesbridge (a couple of miles from Banbridge). You can use the maps on the Griffiths site to see where it is. No sign of Robert Stewart which makes me think he may have been dead by then.

I didn’t see Alexander Wright either but there is a Mary Wright (probably a widow) who jointly with Hugh Stuart has plot 38 which is land for a mill dam. There was also a James Wright on plot 43, an 11 acre farm. Possibly a relative.

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=nameS…

There is a Presbyterian church in the townland (Katesbridge). However it only appears to have records from 1866 onwards so might have been the family church at some point but I see they were married in Drumgooland so that may be the place to look for baptisms and marriages for both families. Their records start in 1836. There’s a copy in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast. A personal visit is required to view them.

Looking at the revaluation records (which take Griffiths forward) I see Mary Wright is replaced by Thomas in 1879 (suggesting she may have died around then). James Wright leaves in 1882 (and is not replaced by another Wright). Thomas Wright and Hugh Stewart both leave plot 38 in 1877. (It was only land ie with no house so they lived somewhere else. Possibly lodging with someone).

Alexander Stewart is replaced by Robert Stewart in 1885 (suggesting Alexr may have died or left), and then Robert is replaced by Mary in 1891. (She’s a widow so probably he died around 1891).

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/proni

This is the only Stewart/Stuart or Wright household in Shannaghan in 1901:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Balloolymore/Shannaghan/1201687/

And in 1911:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Down/Balloolymore/Shanaghan/205551/

 Mary Stewart is shown as leaving plot 30 in 1917 (so presumably died). She was replaced by Alice McElroy junior who in turn was replaced by Samuel G. McElroy in 1928. Since Mary Stewart had a grand-daughter named McElroy (in the 1901 census), these are presumably related to her.

The spelling of Stewart varies in the official records. Sometimes it’s Stuart. That’s completely normal. The idea of a correct spelling is not something that our ancestors would have recognised and it often varied according to whim.

You could check the death records post 1864 for death certificates for the various people named (check Stuart as well as Stewart). But Drumgooland chruch records would also seem to be the next set of records to examine. You may need to get a researcher to do that if you can't get there yourself.