Conrad Reeves
Sir William Conrad Reeves (Saint Joseph, Barbados 1821{{efn|name=birth}} – Barbados, 8 January 1902),'REEVES, Hon. Sir William Conrad’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc., 1920 – 2007 (online ed. Oxford University Press, December 2007) was a nineteenth century journalist, lawyer, and politician in Barbados. He served as his country's Solicitor-General from 1874 to 1876, Attorney-General from 1882 to 1886, and Chief Justice from 1886 to 1902.
Early life and education
Reeves was born in 1821 in Barbados,{{Cite DNB12 |wstitle= Reeves, William Conrad |volume= 3 |last= Harris |first= Charles Alexander |author-link= Charles Alexander Harris |pages= 173-174 |year=1912|short= 1}} one of three sons of Thomas Phillipps Reeves, a medical practitioner, and a slave, Peggy Phyllis. Reeves was raised by his father’s sister and privately educated.
Reeves went to work at The Liberal newspaper. He was a legal reporter at the Barbados Agricultural Reporter covering the House of Assembly when he resigned to study law.{{Cite news |last=Hoyos |first=F. A. |date=6 September 1952 |title=Our Common Heritage: Valence Gale |url=https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00098964/02980/zoom/3 |access-date=3 February 2025 |work=The Barbados Advocate |pages=4}} In 1860, Reeves went to England. He was patronised with funds collected by the black community, to stay in the United Kingdom, to study at the Middle Temple.{{Cite newspaper The Times|title=Obituary - Sir Conrad Reeves|date=31 January 1902|page=8|issue=36679}}{{Cite book |last=Straker |first=D. Augustus |author-link=D. Augustus Straker |title=A trip to the Windward islands |publisher=James H. Stone Press |year=1896 |location=Detroit, Michigan |pages=38-39 |language=en |quote=}}
Legal and political career
Reeves was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1863 and the Barbados Bar in 1864. He served as Attorney-General of St. Vincent briefly in 1867.
In 1874, he became the representative for the parish of Saint Joseph in the House of Assembly and was appointed Solicitor-General of Barbados.{{Cite news |date=10 January 1902 |title=Death of Sir Conrad Reeves |url=https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00094730/02716/zoom/6 |access-date=19 February 2025 |work=Port of Spain Gazette |pages=7 |quote=Sir Conrad Reeves was appointed Solicitor-General of Barbados in August 1874, but resigned the office in April 1876.}} In 1876, he opposed proposals by Governor John Pope-Hennessy to federate Barbados and the Windward Islands, attracting large public support and resigned as Solicitor-General. In 1878, he opposed similar proposals to reform the House of Assembly by adding Crown-nominated members.
In 1882, Reeves was appointed Attorney-General and, in 1883, he was made Queen's Counsel.{{London Gazette
| issue = 25254
| date = 27 July 1883
| page = 3760
}} He served as Attorney General of Barbados from 1882 to 1886.
In 1886, Reeves became the first black Chief Justice of Barbados.{{Cite journal |date=20 August 1886 |title=Notices |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/25618/page/4080 |journal=The Gazette |location=London, England |publisher=HMSO |issue=25618 |pages=4080}} He served in this position until his death in 1902. In 1889, Reeves was knighted by Queen Victoria,{{Cite journal |date=May 1904 |title=From Newsboy to Chief Justice. |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.35112100240458&seq=134&q1=conrad+reeves |journal=The Law Student's Helper |location=Detroit, Michigan |volume=12 |issue=5 |pages=162 |via=HathiTrust}} and became the first black man to be knighted by a British sovereign.
Personal life and death
In 1868, Reeves married Margaret Rudder, the daughter of J. T. R. Rudder. The couple had one daughter.
Reeves died on 9 January 1902{{Cite news |date=16 January 1902 |title=The Death of Sir Conrad Reeves |url=https://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00079438/00956/zoom/2 |access-date=19 February 2025 |work=The Dominican |location=Roseau, Dominica |pages=3 |volume=XXI |issue=809}} at his home in St. Michael’s, Bridgetown and was afforded a public funeral. He was survived by his daughter.
References
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Footnote(s)
{{notes
| notes =
{{efn
| name = birth
| His year of birth is listed as 1838 in Who´s Who; as 1827 in his obituary in The Times of 31 January 1902; and in other sources as 1821.
}}
}}
External links
- [http://www.barbadosparliament.com/the_house_of_assembly.php The House of Assembly, Parliament of Barbados] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100109040432/http://www.barbadosparliament.com/the_house_of_assembly.php |date=2010-01-09 }}
- Hoyos, F. A. "[https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00098964/02938/zoom/3 Our Common Heritage no 13: Conrad Reeves: Barbados and the Colonial Office]". The Barbados Advocate. Bridgetown. 19 July 1952. p. 4. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
- [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044080581697 Further papers relating to the late disturbances in Barbados]. HMSO. London, England. 1876. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
{{Attorney-General of Barbados}}
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Category:Solicitors general of Barbados
Category:Attorneys-general of the Colony of Barbados
Category:Chief justices of Barbados
Category:Members of the House of Assembly of Barbados
Category:People from Saint Joseph, Barbados
Category:British Windward Islands judges
Category:Colony of Barbados judges
Category:19th-century Barbadian people
Category:19th-century Barbadian lawyers
Category:20th-century Barbadian lawyers
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