Their first child was buried in England before July, 1763, when peace had been concluded, and William Irving emigrated to New York with his wife, soon to be joined by his wife's parents.
At New York William Irving entered into trade, and prospered fairly until the outbreak of the American Revolution.

His sympathy, and that of his wife, went with the colonists.

On the 19th of October, 1781, Lord Cornwallis, with a force of seven thousand men, surrendered at Yorktown.
In October, 1782, Holland acknowledged the independence of the United States in a treaty concluded at The Hague.

In January, 1783, an armistice was concluded with Great Britain.

In February, 1783, the independence of the United States was acknowledged by Sweden and by Denmark, and in March by Spain.