Background
He was born at Charleston, South Carolina. He was the eldest son of Jacob Aemilius Irving (1767–1816), of Ironshore, Saint James, Jamaica, and his wife Hannah Margaret, daughter of Thomas Corbett of Charleston.
He was born at Charleston, South Carolina. He was the eldest son of Jacob Aemilius Irving (1767–1816), of Ironshore, Saint James, Jamaica, and his wife Hannah Margaret, daughter of Thomas Corbett of Charleston.
Jacob"s father was a nephew of Lieutenant-General Sir Paulus Aemilius Irving, 1st Baronet (1751–1828), Commander-in-Chief of the British West Indies. From 1814 to 1817, Irving served with the 13th Regiment of Dragoons, reaching the rank of Lieutenant. He fought at the Battle of Waterloo and received a sabre cut to the head in one of the last charges.
He emigrated with his family to Upper Canada in 1834.
Irving helped suppress the Upper Canada Rebellion, serving on the Niagara frontier. He settled in Newmarket and was elected on to the Legislative Council of Upper Canada from 1843 until his death.
Irving also became the first warden for the Simcoe District in 1843. They were the parents of eleven children, but only five reached adulthood:
Sir Æmilius Irving Knights of Columbus, served in the Canadian House of Commons.
Diana Irving (1825–1900).
They were the parents of four children, including (famed sailor, World War I navy recruiter, & financier) Aemilius Jarvis. Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Erskine Irving (1840-1919). They died without children.
Emma Irving (born 1843).
They were the parents of three children. Edward Herbert Irving (1845–1888), married Emily (died 1879), daughter of William Roe of Newmarket, Ontario.
They died without children.
He served as a member of the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada from 1843 to 1856.