George Irving

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George Irving was born in Cumberland, England.

This profile is part of the Irving Name Study.

Biography

Name, birth year and location based on census records.

George Irving birth year and location are based on the census information.

George Irving birth registration March 1886 at Cockermouth, Cumberland, England. ^[1]

George Irving marriage to Sarah A Blaylock registered June 1918 at Whitehaven, Cumberland. ^[2]

George Irving, died aged 79. Death registered December 1965, Whitehaven, Cumberland. ^[3]

Census Records

1891 Census of England and Wales: Workington, Cumberland, England. 1891 Census of England and Wales, conducted on the 5 April.

• Living in the house of his father-in-Law John Paterson at 1 Northside, Harrington.
• John Irving, age 45, married, Locomotive Engine Driver, born in Scotland.
• wife is Margaret, 39 Born in Scotland.
• son John Irving, 14, Harrington.
• daughter Nancy Irving, 7, Harrington.
• son George Irving, 5, Harrington.
• daughter Sarah Irving, 3, Harrington.
• John Paterson is the Head of the house, age 57,a widow, a Watchman at the Port, born in Scotland.
• son Robert Paterson, 29, a widow, Locomotive Engine Driver, born Scotland.
• son John Paterson, 15 Iron Moulder's Apprentice, born Scotland.
• daughter Marion Paterson, 12 born Scotland.

1911 Census of England and Wales: Workington, Cumberland, England. 1911 Census of England and Wales, conducted on the 2 April.

• Living at Northside Harrington.
• John Irving, married, age 65, Locomotive Engine Driver in Steel Works, born Canonbie, Dumfriesshire, Scotland.
• wife Margaret, 53 born Kilwinning, Aryshire, Scotland.
• son John Irving, 33 Locomotive Engine Driver in Steel Work born Ballarat Australia?
• son George Irving, 25 Locomotive Engine Driver in Steel Work, Harrington.
• son Robert Irving, 18, worker in Steel works, Harrington.
• Grandson John Stephenson, 8, Harrington.

1939 England and Wales Register: Northside Cottages, Workington.

Irving, George Snr born 6 Feb 1886, Married. Blast Furname Locomotive Driver.

Irving, Annie, 21 Dec 1890, Married. Inpaid Domestic Service.

Irving, William B, 19 Jan 1924, single. Apprentice Joiner.

Irving, George, 2 Sept 1927, single. At School.

Footnotes

1. ↑ BMD Birth registration Mar 1886 for Cockermouth: Vol 10b Page 587.
2. ↑ BMD Marriage register Jun 1918 for Whitehaven: Vol 10b Page 1241.
3. ↑ BMD Death register Whitehaven: Vol 1A Page 152.

By the mid-19th century coal-mining was in decline but Workington experienced a major expansion as a centre of iron and steel making. By 1860 only Jane Pit was in operation and Workington Colliery ceased production in 1875. A costly attempt was made to re-start coal production by sinking a new pit, Solway Pit, in 1937; it closed in 1973.

The opening of the Workington Haematite Company’s ironworks north of the town in 1856 (see SEATON) heralded the expansion of the iron and steel industry and a major growth in population, which leapt from 8,413 inhabitants in 1871 to 14,361 in 1881 and 23,749 in 1891. The coming of the railway in 1847 linked the town to the other industrial centres in west Cumberland and the port’s capacity expanded with the construction of the Lonsdale Dock (on the Seaton side of the river) in 1865 and further harbour works in 1917. The Lonsdale Dock was made deeper and wider to accommodate larger vessels (and renamed the Prince of Wales Dock) in 1927. However, the coastal trade declined in the late 19th century: where 80-90 ships belonged to the port c.1870, there were only a mere ‘seven to nine’ by 1900.

By c.1900 there were three main iron and steelworks in Workington township. Moss Bay Haematite and Steel Co., established in 1871, erected two Bessemer converters at Moss Bay in 1872, adding rolling mills in 1877. This massive steelworks continued for over a century. The last of the converters was blown out in 1974 and the steelworks ceased production in 1982, though railway rails continued to be made there using steel manufactured elsewhere until 2006. A second works, the Derwent Haematite Iron Co, between Moss Bay and New Yard, was ‘new’ in 1883. The third establishment was the works of Kirk Brothers – at New Yard, Marsh side and Derwent Rolling Mills. Shipbuilding continued in second half of 19th century, making merchant vessels.

The growth of population levelled off in the early 20th century, to stand at 24,751 in 1931, the last census year before the boundary changes of 1934. On the eve of the Second World War, Kelly’s Directory summed up Workington’s economy, demonstrating the dominance of the iron and steel industries: ‘The chief industries here are concerned with the manufacture of iron, steel rails and tinplates; there are also works for the manufacture of iron bridges, fences, gates, rivets, boilers, and railway spikes ... There is also a brewery and a ship-building yard’. The port remained a crucial element in the town’s economy, importing iron ore and exporting iron and steel, as well as coal and lime.

The decline of heavy industry after the Second World War saw a downward drift in population across the later 20th century, from a peak of 29,552 in 1961, to stand at 24,295 in 2001.

Sources

• Birth Certificate and Death Certificate.

• "England Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950." Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 16 July 2021. Index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City.

• Civil Registration index information for England and Wales, controlled by the General Register Office. The GRO index has an entry for each event (Birth, Marriage or Death) that has been registered. This is available online through www.freebmd.org.uk.

• 1891 Census of England and Wales: Workington, Cumberland, England.

• "England and Wales Census, 1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4J8V-7T2 : 8 May 2019), George Irving in household of John Paterson, Workington, Cumberland, England, United Kingdom; from "1891 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 12, Cumberland county, subdistrict, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.

• "General Register Office: 1891 Census Returns database, FreeCEN (https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/5902b8b2e9379091b1192559 : viewed 11 Apr 2022), George IRVING in household of John PATERSON, 1, North Side Harrington, Cumberland, England; from 1891 "England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images; citing The National Archives RG 12/4307, Folio 90, Page 41, Schedule 211, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.

• 1901 Census of England and Wales, conducted on the 31 March.

• 1911 Census of England and Wales, conducted on the 2 April.

• Workington Steel Works https://www.cumbriacountyhistory.org.uk/workington-c1850-iron-and-steel