Conrad Reeves
Sir William Conrad Reeves (Saint Joseph, Barbados 1821[a] – Barbados, 8 January 1902),[1] 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
[edit | edit source]Reeves was born in 1821 in Barbados,[2] one of three sons of Thomas Phillipps Reeves, a medical practitioner, and a slave, Peggy Phyllis.[2] Reeves was raised by his father’s sister and privately educated.[2]
Reeves went to work at The Liberal newspaper.[2] He was a legal reporter at the Barbados Agricultural Reporter covering the House of Assembly when he resigned to study law.[3] In 1860, Reeves went to England.[2] He was patronised with funds collected by the black community, to stay in the United Kingdom, to study at the Middle Temple.[4][5]
Legal and political career
[edit | edit source]Reeves was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1863 and the Barbados Bar in 1864.[2] He served as Attorney-General of St. Vincent briefly in 1867.[2]
In 1874, he became the representative for the parish of Saint Joseph in the House of Assembly[2] and was appointed Solicitor-General of Barbados.[2][6] In 1876, he opposed proposals by Governor John Pope-Hennessy to federate Barbados and the Windward Islands, attracting large public support[2] and resigned as Solicitor-General.[6] In 1878, he opposed similar proposals to reform the House of Assembly by adding Crown-nominated members.[2]
In 1882, Reeves was appointed Attorney-General[2][6] and, in 1883, he was made Queen's Counsel.[2][7] He served as Attorney General of Barbados from 1882 to 1886.
In 1886, Reeves became the first black Chief Justice of Barbados.[2][8] He served in this position until his death in 1902. In 1889, Reeves was knighted[2] by Queen Victoria,[6][9] and became the first Barbadian, as well black man, to be knighted by a British sovereign.[4]
Personal life and death
[edit | edit source]In 1868, Reeves married Margaret Rudder,[2] the daughter of J. T. R. Rudder. The couple had one daughter.[1]
Reeves died on 9 January 1902[10] at his home in St. Michael’s, Bridgetown and was afforded a public funeral.[10] He was survived by his daughter.[2]
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ a b '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)
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Footnote(s)
[edit | edit source]- ^ 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
[edit | edit source]- The House of Assembly, Parliament of Barbados Archived 2010-01-09 at the Wayback Machine
- Hoyos, F. A. "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.
- Further papers relating to the late disturbances in Barbados. HMSO. London, England. 1876. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
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- 1838 births
- 1902 deaths
- Barbadian lawyers
- Barbadian judges
- Solicitors general of Barbados
- Attorneys-general of the Colony of Barbados
- Chief justices of Barbados
- Members of the House of Assembly of Barbados
- People from Saint Joseph, Barbados
- British Windward Islands judges
- Colony of Barbados judges
- 19th-century Barbadian people
- 19th-century Barbadian lawyers
- 20th-century Barbadian lawyers
- Barbadian people stubs
- North American law biography stubs
- Caribbean people stubs