Bios: IRWIN, James Harvey : Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, PA 
         
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   James Harvey Irwin, deceased, was in his day one of the representative
   businessmen of Allegheny county. He was born in Mifflin township on
   September 16, 1825, and was a lineal descendant of one of the oldest
   families in that section of the state.

   His paternal grandfather, Joseph Irwin, was born in the southern part of
   Ireland in 1710. In 1732, more than forty years before the Declaration of
   Independence, he came to America taking up a tract of land and obtaining
   the patent, calling it "Wormwood Farm" and located in what is now
   Miffling township. There he followed the vocation of a farmer until his
   death which occurred in 1790. There his son, James Irwin, grew to
   manhood; married Miss Margaret Whittaker, the daughter of a neighboring
   farmer, and one of the children born to this union was James H Irwin, the
   subject of this sketch.

   On June 10, 1860, he was married to Miss Eliza West, daughter of Matthew
   and Mary West who were among the early settlers of the county. To this
   marriage there were born three children: James Kennedy Irwin; Ettie M
   Irwin; and Dessie Irwin, who is now the wife of R L Thompson of Ben Avon.
   After his marriage, Mr Irwin located at East Bethlehem, Washington
   county, Penna.

   In 1870 he came to Pittsburg and soon after began dealing in real estate
   and investing in various enterprises in which, owing to his sound
   business judgment, he was usually successful. He continued in this
   business all his life and from the very nature of his occupation, he
   formed many acquaintances, a large majority of whom became steadfast
   friends.

   Politcally Mr Irwin was a whig in his earlier years. Upon the
   organization of the republican party he became one of its staunchest
   adherents, and remained so until 1876 when he voted for Tilden, and from
   that time until his death he was a supporter of democratic principles. He
   was a member of the United Presbyterian church, and died firm in that
   faith on February 9, 1901. His widow is still living and is a resident of
   Ben Avon, a beautiful suburb of Pittsburgh.

   The son, J Kennedy Irwin, MD, who is well known in Pittsburgh as a
   physician and specialist on diseases of the eye, was born in Washington
   county, Penna, September 18, 1852, but shortly afterward removed to
   Allegheny county, and has since resided there. Dr Irwin attended the
   common schools of Allegheny county, and later St Vincent's college at
   Latrobe, Penna, where he was graduated in a classical course in 1882,
   receiving the degree of master of arts. He then entered Illinois state
   pharmaceutical college and was graduated in pharmacy in 1884. Then he
   attended Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia, and graduated from
   that institution in 1888 with the degree of MD. For four years after
   graduating he practiced in Philadelphia with Professor L Webster Fox, a
   prominent lecturer of ophthalmology. At the end of that time he came to
   Pittsburg, where he has taken an eminent position among the leading
   physicians of the city. He resides in Ben Avon, has offices in the Smith
   building, and devotes the major portion of his time to diseases of the
   eye. Dr Irwin is a member of the Philadelphia county medical society, the
   American medical association, the alumni of Jefferson Medical College, is
   medical examiner for the New York life insurance company, and chief
   medical director for the Order of Unity.

   He was married in 1891 to Margaret, daughter of Richard M Webb and
   Pauline Miller Webb, her father having been a prominent leather
   manufacturer in Jersey City, New Jersey. They had two children: James H
   Irwin, Jr and Richard Webb Irwin. Mrs Irwin died July 4, 1896, and is
   sincerely mourned by a large circle of friends.
   
   Memoirs of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania; personal and genealogical.
   Vol. 1   p 260