First World War in Headington & Marston
Roll of Honour of All Saints’ Church, Highfield

William George IRVING (1872–1919)

William George Irving was born in Henley-on-Thames in 1872, the son of William Irving (born in Remenham, Berkshire in 1847/8, registered Henley district first quarter of 1848) and Ann Talbot (born in West Hagbourne, Berkshire in c.1847/8).

His parents were both living in Henley when they were married at St Mary the Virgin Church there on 20 March 1870, and they had the following children:

• Annie Eliza Talbot, later Irving (born in Henley-on-Thames, registered in first quarter of 1870 with the surname Talbot but baptised after her parents’ wedding as Annie Eliza Irving at St Mary the Virgin Church in Henley on 19 October 1870)
• William George Irving (born in Henley-on-Thames and baptised at St Mary the Virgin Church there on 8 December 1872)
• Alfred Thomas Irving (born in Henley-on-Thames and baptised at St Mary the Virgin Church there on 23 April 1876)
• Charles Henry Irving (born in Henley-on-Thames and baptised at St Mary the Virgin Church there on 14 July 1878)
• Bertie Arthur Irving (born in Henley-on-Thames and baptised at St Mary the Virgin Church there on 11 November 1883)
• Frances Edith Irving (born in Henley-on-Thames and baptised at St Mary the Virgin Church there on 31 March 1886); died soon after birth, death registered third quarter of 1886.

At the time of the 1871 census William and his wife were living in Barlow’s Yard, Henley with their first child, Annie, who was born before their wedding.

William’s father was a brewer’s labourer. The 1881 census shows the family living in Red Cross Yard, New Street, Henley, now with four children: Annie (11), William himself (8), Alfred (5), and Charles (3).

Ten years later in 1891 the family had moved to West Hill in Henley, and four children were still at home: William (18) was a general labourer, Alfred (15) was an errand boy, and Charles (13) and Bertie (7) were at school. Annie (21) had already married and left home.

On 17 December 1892 William, aged 20 years and 3 months, signed up for a limited period with the Oxfordshire Light Infantry (service no. 4302). His service record describes him as being of fresh complextion, with grey eyes and dark brown hair. He ws 5′ 7″ tall and weighed 133 lb, and his chest measurement was 32½″ (34½″ expanded). He served at home from 15 December 1892 to 25 February 1894, and then in India from 26 February 1894 to 19 April 1902, fighting in the Mohmand Expedition and the Tirah Campaign.

Meanwhile William’s parents continued to live in Henley, and the 1901 census specified their address as 56 West Hill. Alfred (25) and Charles (24) had now also married and left home, so the only one of their children still living with them was Bertie (18), who was working as a bricklayer’s labourer.

William served his last period in the regular army, from 19 April 1902 to 14 December 1904, on the home front.

♥ In the second quarter of 1903 William Irving married Martha Jane Sims (born in Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire in 1879, registered Thame district third quarter) in the Headington registration district. At the time of the 1901 census, when she was 21, she was working as a servant in an hotel, and living with her parents in Old Road, Headington Quarry. Her father was a vegetable hawker.

William Irving and his wife moved to New High Street in Headington (taken into All Saints’ parish in 1910) and had the following children:

• William George Irving (born in New Headington on 29 May 1904 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church, Old Headington on 7 August 1904; died aged five, buried at Headington Cemetery on 9 March 1910)
• Victor Charles Irving (born in New Headington on 15 April 1906 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 3 June 1906)
• Dorothy Louisa Margaret Irving (born in New High Street and baptised at All Saints’ Church on 10 March 1912).

At the time of his first child’s baptism in August 1904 William was still in the army; but when his other children were baptised in 1906 and 1912 he was described in the register as a labourer.

The 1911 census shows William living with his wife and son Victor in New High Street (probably at No. 51): he was now described more precisely as a maltster labourer, so must have worked for a brewery, as his father had done.

Meanwhile William Irving’s father William, now a widower, was living at 33 West Hill, Henley with the family of his son Alfred. He died at the age of 65 at Havelock Terrace, Henley and was buried at St Mary the Virgin churchyard in Henley on 4 September 1914.

The only W. G. Irving in the CWGC database was a Private in the 1st Garrison Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment (Service No. 14021). He died in Egypt on 11 January 1919, when he would have been 46, and was buried at the Suez War Memorial Cemetery (Grave  A.33).

William George Irving is listed on the Roll of Honour of All Saints’ Church, Highfield.

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Postscript

William’s widow

• Martha Jane Irving married Richard E. Tebby in the Oxford registration district in the fourth quarter of 1921.

William’s children

• Victor Charles Irving married Cissie Keep in the Oxford registration district in the third quarter of 1930.
• Dorothy Louise Irving married Alfred Yates in the Oxford registration district in the third quarter of 1935.

William’s siblings

• Annie Eliza Irving (born 1870) married Arthur James Ayres in the Henley registration district in the third quarter of 1890.
• Alfred Thomas Irving (born 1876) married Alice Mary Essex in the Maidenhead district in the fourth quarter of 1898. They moved from Maidenhead to Henley in about 1900 and had the following children: Alfred William Irving (born 1898/9), Ethel Annie Irving (born 1900), Alice Lucy Irving (born 1905), Doris Elizabeth Irving (born 1906), and Leonard Frederick Irving (born 1908). 
• Charles Henry Irving (born 1878) married Emily Kate Green in the Kingston registration district in the third quarter of 1900.