Jacob Irving, Rapides Parish Louisiana
Submitted by: Suzanne Shoemaker

**********************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm
**********************************************
 
Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northwest Louisiana
The Southern Publishing Company, Chicago & Nashville,  1890

     JACOB IRVING is now living retired from the active duties of life, but
formerly kept an extensive and well patronized meat market.  He was born
near Loch Maben, Dumfrieshire, Scotland, July 17, 1814, and although the
"sons of Scotland" are fairly well represented in Rapides Parish, they,
with characteristic modesty, do not assume to brilliancy on the forum, yet
hold conspicuous places in many pursuits, which makes Rapides Parish a
substantial star in the galaxy of Louisiana's many interesting parishes.
His parents were David and Mary (Wright) Irving, and on both sides of the
family tree there are to be found people of good size, hardy constitutions,
long lived, and tenacious of their religious faith, that of
Presbyterianism.  Jacob Irving was the eighth child of a family of six sons
and seven daughters.  David, a son of the family, came to America and
settled at Chillicothe, Ohio, about 1830, and there left a family.
William, another member, came here about 1825 or 1826, but eventually
located in Rapides Parish but left no family.  Jacob came thither in 1831,
and after spending one year at Natchez, Miss., he came to Rapides Parish,
La., and began life as a butcher, following it successfully until about
1880, when he retired from that business.  He was married in 1836 to Miss
Martha Besan, a native of Louisiana and of Rapides Parish and a daughter of
John Besan.  To them seven sons and eight daughters have been born:  Mary
(who married Alphonse Cazabat, both being now deceased, leaving one son and
three daughters), Stephen (who was married, died in 1867, and left three
daughters), John (the father of a son and daughter), Judith (wife of
William Cruikshank, of Alexandria, by whom she has three sons and four
daughters), Elizabeth (deceased, was the wife of J. J. Broom, of Rapides
Parish, and left four sons and four daughters), David (who is married, and
has five sons and two daughters), Jeanette (who married James Daniels, and
has six daughters and one son), Margaret (who married Louis Aberdie, of
Pineville, by whom she has one son and two daughters), Jacob (who has a
son), and Robert (at home, unmarried).  The other members of the family are
deceased.  Mr. Irving is one of the substantial citizens of Alexandria, and
has served as alderman of his ward for eleven different terms.