Richard Reeves (New Zealand politician)

Richard Harman Jeffares Reeves (1836 – 1 June 1910) was a New Zealand politician of the Liberal Party. He was acting Speaker of the Legislative Council in 1905.


Richard Reeves
12th Speaker of the Legislative Council
In office
23 March 1905  30 June 1905
Preceded byAlfred Cadman
Succeeded byCharles Bowen
Personal details
Born1836
Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Ireland
Died1 June 1910
Nelson, New Zealand
Political partyLiberal
RelationsCharles Stephen Reeves (brother)

Biography

Early life and career

Reeves was born in Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Ireland, in 1836. He was educated at Barrow Grammar School, and subsequently at Tarvin, Cheshire. In early youth he went to sea and in 1852 he left England for Sydney, New South Wales. He worked in various trades, including mining, store keeping, cattle dealing and auctioneering.[1]

Political career

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
18781879 6th Grey Valley Independent
18791881 7th Grey Valley Independent
18871890 10th Inangahua Independent
18901893 11th Inangahua Liberal

Whilst absent on a visit to Australia in 1866, he was elected member for the Hokitika electorate in the Canterbury Provincial Council, but resigned on his return to New Zealand, as he found that pressure of business prevented him from taking his seat.[1] His membership lasted from 4 July to 20 October 1866.[2] When the West Coast was separated from Canterbury, Reeves was elected onto the Westland County for the Hokitika riding (May 1869 – June 1870).[3] He represented the Grey electorate on the Nelson Provincial Council in the last few months before the abolition of the provincial governments (28 April 1876 – 31 October 1876).[4]

He represented the Grey Valley electorate in Parliament from an 1878 by-election, caused by the resignation of Martin Kennedy,[1] to 1881.[5] He was defeated for the Inangahua electorate in the 1881 general election, but won that electorate in 1887.[5] Reeves joined the Liberal Party when it was formed after the 1890 election and all through his political career he has been a consistent advocate of all liberal and labour measures.[1] He resigned on 26 April 1893 as he had been adjudged bankrupt.[5] At the November 1893 election, he contested the electorate once more, but came last of the three candidates.[6]

Reeves was appointed to the Legislative Council on 13 December 1895, and was reappointed at the end of the term in 1902 and 1909.[7] After the death of Alfred Cadman, he was acting Speaker in 1905 (23 March – 30 June).[8] He was Chairman of Committees for three periods between 1904 and his death on 1 June 1910.[9]

He died in Nelson aged 76 of a heart attack after an illness.[10][11] His wife had died in November 1908.[12][13] They are both buried at Wakapuaka Cemetery.[14]

Reeves was an elder brother of Charles Stephen Reeves, who was Mayor of Dunedin in 1876.[15]

See also

Notes

  1. Cyclopedia Company Limited (1906). "Present Members Of The Legislative Council". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Nelson, Marlborough & Westland Provincial Districts. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  2. Scholefield 1950, p. 195.
  3. Scholefield 1950, p. 243.
  4. Scholefield 1950, p. 213.
  5. Scholefield 1950, p. 134.
  6. "The General Election, 1893". National Library. 1894. p. 2. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  7. Scholefield 1950, p. 83.
  8. Scholefield 1950, p. 88.
  9. Scholefield 1950, pp. 83, 89.
  10. "Obituary". The Evening Post. 1 June 1910.
  11. "Obituary". Mataura Ensign. 1 June 1910.
  12. "Local & General News". Nelson Evening Mail. XLII (XLII). 17 November 1908. p. 2. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  13. "Obituary". Colonist. LI (12405). 21 November 1908. p. 6. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  14. "Plot record details". Nelson City Council. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  15. "Obituary". Evening Star. 1 June 1910.

References

Political offices
Preceded by
John Rigg
Chairman of Committees of the Legislative Council
19041906
19061907
19081910
Succeeded by
William Cowper Smith
Preceded by
William Cowper Smith
Succeeded by
William Cowper Smith
Preceded by
William Cowper Smith
Succeeded by
Walter Carncross
Preceded by
Alfred Cadman
Speaker of the New Zealand Legislative Council
1905
Succeeded by
Charles Bowen
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by
Martin Kennedy
Member of Parliament for Grey Valley
1878–1881
Served alongside: Charles Woolcock, Edward Masters, Thomas S. Weston
Constituency abolished
Preceded by
Andrew Agnew Stuart Menteath
Member of Parliament for Inangahua
18871893
Succeeded by
Robert Stout
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