Biography: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Ethel Irving (born Frances Emily Irving; 1869–1963) was a British stage actress. She also appeared in five films. Frances Emily Irving was born in England on 5 September 1869, the daughter of stage actor Joseph Irving (died 1870)[2] and the wife of actor Gilbert Porteous (died 1928). She was initially billed as Birdie Irving, appearing in London productions such as the 1885 pantomime A Frog He Would a Wooing Go and the burlesque The Vicar of Wideawakefield. She died in Bexhill-on-Sea on 3 May 1963.