Thank you for sharing your research/thoughts on the family of Richard Stuart. 

I am a descendant of Richard Stuart, who settled in NZ. My Grandfather, one Bruce Richard Stewart is the son of Donald Lewis Stewart, who is the son of George Lewis Stewart - great grandson of Richard Stuart. 

Any further information would be much appreciated. 

Kia ora from Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Gabriel.

Dear Gabriel,

We are 4th cousins once removed. If you email me at donhansen@xtra.co.nz, I can send you more information.

Regards,

Don.

Hi Don,
Hamish Stuart here. A few years ago you sent me some wonderful information regarding our ancestor Richard Stuart. I was just wondering if anything further had come about? Working in Oulart National school, only a few miles from Ballyvaldon parish really is such a strange coincidence and many people have suggested I write to RTE to see if there is anything that they could help with in regard to the story. I am meeting with a local family from Ballyvaldon this Friday who apparently have some information for me. I know your research was very thorough, and perhaps you have already met these people. I have been thinking about getting a DNA ancestry test done to see if after all these years (1802-2019) there might be people near by that we could be related too. My Nana, Jean Stuart (Masterton, NZ) is 94 and would love to hear if anything new has come up.
Kind Regards

Hamish Stuart
Rosslare Strand
Co. Wexford
Ireland

Hello Hamish,

I'm glad you called. A few months ago I was contacted by a Stuart in London whose ancestors were from co. Wexford but he can't get back far enough to establish any link with ours. He, like me, is keen to do a DNA test to see if there is a connection. Being a male-line Stuart, he would be ideal for a Y-DNA test. That means we would need a male-line descendant from our side to do the same test. Ideally we should try to get 2 or 3 males with different male-line descents from Richard Stuart, to ensure any unknown "non-paternity event" (as they are called) doesn't lead to a wrong conclusion.

You spring to mind as an ideal candidate! If you're keen, I can make enquiries to see who else might like to participate from amongst Richard Stuart's male-line descendants. Ideally we would share the cost of the tests, and I would be willing to contribute even though my DNA wouldn't be tested. Let me know your thoughts.

Please also tell me all about your meeting with the Ballyvaldon family. It sounds exciting. I haven't made contact with any locals there yet, although I visited the graveyards in the area on a flying visit some years ago. No Stuart headstones found though.

Regards,

Don.

Thanks for responding Don.
I must have mentioned to a parent of one of my students at some point about the possible Ballyvaldon connection. She actually approached me recently regarding this and told me how her great aunt from Ballyvaldon was interested in the story. I wrote her a letter with a brief history of Richard's journey from Wexford to NZ and how I had turned up appropriately 200 years later from New Zealand! Yes as you mentioned Richard and Mary's childrens names are key. They are the link so I made sure to list them all. An elderly priest in the area Fr. Séamus de Vál told me that it is no coincidence that many of the names you found around that area matched Richard and Mary's children's names. He said Richard would have left and named his children after family members he knew he would never see again.
There is a Ballyvaldon parish history book with a few references to 'Stewarts'. A local historian who unfortunately passed away last week, John Bolger took me into Ballyvaldon a few years back. He showed me a field that is still to this day called 'Stewart's Field'. Again it's hard to know if there is a connection here or not. He showed me a house that was connected with the name also. If their line of work was as you mentioned in England then I doubt that there is a connection with the 'Alexander Stewart' (school teacher) listed in the Ballyvaldon parish history book, although again how many Alexander Stewarts could there be in one area? Both first and last names were not very common in Ireland making tracking considerably easier...???
I most certainly would partake in the DNA test. Let me know what I have to do. The results could be fascinating!!!
Are there any other formats out there that you might recommend for making these potential links? Perhaps a query on Facebook??
Let me know your thoughts if you've time. Even in my locality there are a lot of Stewart's. Perhaps I should just start asking...
Keep well and let's see if anything pops up.
Best wishes,

Hamish Stuart

Hello Hamish,

As well as you, we now have James Stewart in London and David Stuart, descendant of our Lewis Stuart's brother Charles, who are willing to do a Y-DNA test. We're ready to go. I want to use Family Tree DNA and take advantage of their discount offer that lasts till 31 August 2019. Can you please tell me your email address or email me at donhansen@xtra.co.nz? 

I will then send you details and relevant weblinks about the test.

Don.