The Irving Family

David Irving comes from a distinguished family on both paternal and maternal sides. His father was a decorated Royal Navy Commander, his uncle a distinguished Oxford professor of chemistry, his paternal grandfather an Oxford schoolmaster, and his mother an accomplished author and illustrator. This page traces the family line through the generations whose lives are documented in the Focal Point archive.

Paternal Line

Mr John Irving — Paternal Grandfather

David Irving’s paternal grandfather, Mr John Irving, was a schoolmaster at Oxford. He was the father of two sons: John James Cawdell Irving (David’s father) and Harry M. N. H. Irving (David’s uncle). John Irving served as an educator in the city of Oxford, where the family established deep roots in academic life. Stephen Ward, the osteopath who became notorious in the Profumo Affair, recalled that his own father had been taught by Mr Irving’s grandfather at Oxford. John Irving’s obituary appeared in the Oxford Mail.

Clara Cawdell Irving — Paternal Grandmother

Clara Cawdell married John Irving and was David Irving’s paternal grandmother. She was the daughter of the Cawdell family and had a sister named Georgina. A photograph survives showing the two sisters together on the Eastbourne seafront in 1938 — the year David Irving was born. Clara’s mother was Elisa Cawdell, extending the documented family line back a further generation. Clara Cawdell Irving died on 16 August 1958; her obituary appeared in the Oxford Mail on 18 August 1958.

Commander John James Cawdell Irving, R.N. — Father

David Irving’s father, Commander John James Cawdell Irving, Royal Navy, was a decorated naval officer and prolific author. He is the subject of a dedicated page on this site, which details his naval career, his many books including Royal Navalese and The King’s Doggwatch, and his founding of the Little Ship Club in London. His elder son, also named John, followed him into military service and became a Wing Commander in the RAF.

Professor Harry M. N. H. Irving — Uncle

Professor Harry Irving was the brother of David Irving’s father and a distinguished academic chemist at the University of Oxford. He is remembered in scientific circles for the Irving-Williams Series, a fundamental concept in inorganic chemistry describing the relative stability of transition metal complexes. Professor Irving lectured at scientific conferences internationally, including at a conference in Moscow in December 1957. He was profiled in the Oxford Times on 22 November 1957, and in May 1971 was presented with a Gold Medal by Sir William Penney. A late portrait photograph survives in the archive.

Maternal Line

Beryl Irene Newington Irving — Mother

David Irving’s mother, Beryl Irene Newington, was born on 24 October 1896 at St Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex, the daughter of Captain Charles Newington (formerly of the Indian Army) and Frances Maria Dolman. She married Lieutenant-Commander John Irving in 1921 and became an accomplished author, illustrator, and BBC broadcaster. She is best known for her children’s book The Dawnchild (1926) and her illustration work for the Radio Times, Farmers Weekly, and numerous books by other authors. She is the subject of a dedicated page on this site and of the memorial website berylirving.com created by her granddaughter Beatrice.

Maternal Grandparents

David Irving’s maternal grandmother was Frances Maria Dolman, and his maternal grandfather was Captain Charles Douglas Godfrey Newington, who had served in the Indian Army.

David Irving’s Children

David Irving has five children. With his first wife, the Spanish-born María del Pilar Stuyck, he had four daughters — the eldest, Josephine Victoria, born on 18 July 1963. His youngest daughter, Jessica, was born in the 1990s to his Danish partner Benté Høgh.