William Reeves

Who was William Reeves?

William Reeves was a New Zealand 19th century journalist and politician. He was the father of the author and politician the Hon. William Pember Reeves.

Reeves was born in 1825 in Clapham, Surrey, England.

He represented the Avon electorate from an 1867 by-election to 1868, when he resigned. He contested the Selwyn electorate in 1871 against Edward Cephas John Stevens and had a majority of one vote. He was defeated in 1875. He was Resident Minister for the Middle Island in the 3rd Fox Ministry in 1871–1872. On 21 October 1884, he was appointed to the New Zealand Legislative Council. He served until his death on 4 April 1891.

He was a journalist and newspaper proprietor in Christchurch and Lyttelton, and was the principal proprietor of the Lyttelton Times, though he died virtually bankrupt.

Reeves underwent an operation at the end of March 1891. Later in the week, complications set in and he died the following day on 4 April 1891 at his homestead 'Risingholme'. He is buried at Barbadoes Street Cemetery and it was the largest Christchurch funeral since William Sefton Moorhouse had died 10 years earlier.