George Vere Irving (1815–1869) was a Scottish advocate and antiquarian, recognized for his contributions to the study of local history and archaeology in Scotland.
Born in 1815, Irving was the son of Alexander Irving, a judge of the Court of Session who held the judicial title Lord Newton. He followed a career in law and was admitted as a member of the Faculty of Advocates in Edinburgh.
Irving is best known for his extensive historical and topographical research. His most significant published work is The Upper Ward of Lanarkshire Described and Delineated (1864), a three-volume study that detailed the history, statistics, and archaeology of the region. He co-authored the archaeological and historical sections of this work with Alexander Murray. This publication remains a primary reference for the nineteenth-century history of Lanarkshire.
In addition to his literary work, Irving was an active member of several learned societies. He was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He also served as a vice-president of the British Archaeological Association and contributed various papers to their journals, often focusing on Scottish fortifications and legal history.
George Vere Irving died in London on October 29, 1869.
