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Irving, James Douglas, Major, and Brigade-Major of Military District No. 12, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, was born at Charlottetown, on the 12th February, 1844. His father, Robert Blake Irving, was born in Annan, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, and emigrated to Prince Edward Island about the year 1832. Here he engaged in the profession of teaching, and in addition took an active interest in politics on the Liberal side until the confederation of the provinces, when party lines having been broken, he became a supporter of the Liberal-Conservative party. He was of a literary turn of mind, and contributed largely to the columns of the Examiner newspaper when it was under the editorial management of the late Hon. Edward Whelan, writing strongly in support of responsible government, free schools, the settlement of the land question by the government purchasing from the proprietors and reselling to tenants, and for confederation. He married in 1843 Joanna Charlotte, a daughter of Thomas Rhodes Hazzard, a U. E. loyalist, who came to Prince Edward Island from Providence, Rhode Island, with his father and family at the conclusion of the war with the revolted colonists. Major Irving received his education in his native parish in the private school taught by his father. On the 26th of March, 1867, he was appointed a lieutenant in the Active Militia of P. E. Island, and was shortly afterwards promoted to a captaincy. After confederation he was given a commission in the Canadian Artillery Militia, and subsequently commanded the P. E. Island provisional brigade of Garrison Artillery. On the 1st of April, 1885, he was appointed brigade-major of Military District No. 12, and this position he at present holds. He was deputy-prothonotary of the Supreme Court of P. E. Island from 1st March, 1871, to 1st April, 1885; registrar of the Court of Chancery, and also that of the Vice-Admiralty Court from 28th March, 1876, to 1st April, 1885; and Clerk of the Crown for P. E. Island from 1st August, 1883, to 1st April, 1885. For many years Major Irving has been an active member of the Caledonian Society, and in general takes a deep interest in all that appertains to his native island.