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William Reeves (bishop)
Encyclopedia
William Reeves was an Irish
antiquarian and the Church of Ireland
Bishop of Down, Connor and Dromore
from 1886 until his death. He was the last private keeper of the Book of Armagh
and at the time of his death was President of the Royal Irish Academy
.
, County Cork
, on 16 March 1815, Reeves was the eldest child of Boles D'Arcy Reeves, an attorney
, whose wife Mary was a daughter of Captain
Jonathan Bruce Roberts, land agent to the 8th Earl of Cork
. This grandfather had fought at the Battle of Bunker's Hill, and Reeves was born at his house in Charleville.
From 1823, Reeves was educated at the school of John Browne in Leeson Street, Dublin, and after that at a school kept by the Rev. Edward Geoghegan. In October 1830, he entered Trinity College, Dublin
, where he quickly gained a prize for Hebrew
. In his third year he became a scholar
and went on to graduate BA
in 1835. He proceeded to read medicine
, won the Berkeley Medal, and graduated MB in 1837. His object in taking his second degree was that he intended to become a clergy
man and to practice the medical profession among the poor of his parish.
, County Antrim
, and was ordained
a deacon of Hillsborough
. The next year, he was ordained a priest
of the Church of Ireland
at Derry
.
In 1844, Reeves rediscovered the lost site of Nendrum Monastery
when he visited Mahee Island in Strangford Lough
, County Down
, searching for churches recorded in 1306, and recognized the remains of a round tower
.
By 1845, Reeves was corresponding with the Irish scholar John O'Donovan
, and an archive of their letters between 1845 and 1860 is preserved at University College, Dublin. In July 1845, Reeves visited London
.
Reeves's career was furthered by his learned work. His first book, published in 1847, was his Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore, but by then he was already a member of the Royal Irish Academy
. By the time he published his Acts of Archbishop Colton (1850) he was also a Doctor of divinity
. In 1850, as in 1847, he was Perpetual Curate of Kilconriola.
Reeves resided in Ballymena
from 1841 to 1858, when he was appointed vicar
of Lusk
following the success of his edition of Adomnán's Life of Saint Columba
(1857). He had worked on this with Dr James Henthorn Todd
, who was patron
of the living
at Lusk. Reeves's edition of Adomnán's Life of Columba has been called "the best and fullest collection of materials on the early Irish Church
in one volume". With regard to the Celtic Church, Reeves himself described Adomnán's work as –
In 1853, Reeves bought from the Brownlow family the important 9th century manuscript known as the Book of Armagh
, paying three hundred pounds
for it. He sold the book for the same sum to Archbishop Beresford
, who had agreed to present it to Trinity, Reeves's alma mater.
Crockford's Clerical Directory
for 1868 gives him as "Reeves, William, DD, Rural Dean
, Rector
of Tynan
, Librarian Armagh Library (Armagh
)".
Reeves was a friend of Margaret Stokes
and with his colleague Todd is credited with setting off her interest in Irish antiquities.
The author and antiquarian Samuel Ferguson
wrote of Reeves in 1867:
In 1886, Reeves was appointed as Bishop of Down, Connor and Dromore
, and in 1891 was elected as President of the Royal Irish Academy. As bishop, he resided at Conway House, Dunmurry
, County Antrim, and signed his name "Wm. Down and Connor".
Reeves died in Dublin on 12 January 1892, while still President of the Academy. At the time of his death, he was working on a diplomatic edition of the Book of Armagh, by then in the Trinity College Library
. The work was completed by Dr John Gwynn and published in 1913.
In November 1889, Reeves had bought the important collection of Irish manuscripts of Robert Shipboy MacAdam (1808–1895), a Belfast
business man and archaeologist. In 1892, after Reeves's death, this collection was bought for the Royal Irish Academy by the Rev. Maxwell Close and is still held by the Academy, under the name of 'The Mac Adam and Reeves Collection'.
Mary, Lady Ferguson, the widow of Reeves's friend Sir Samuel Ferguson, published a biography in 1893, The Life of the Right Rev. William Reeves, DD, Lord Bishop of Down, Connor and Dromore, and this reproduces a portrait of him.
A Catalogue of the Library of the Late Right Rev. William Reeves (1892) contains sections relating to the Royal Irish Academy, Scotland
, Ireland
, the Athanasian Creed
, the Utrecht Psalter
, the Old Testament
, and 'Household Furniture'.
In 1941 Reeves's papers, including some in the Irish language
, were donated to Marsh's Library
by Dean Webster.
Reeves's Notices of Certain Crannogs... in the Counties of Antrim and Londonderry (1860) and his The Culdees of the British Islands (1864) both appeared in new editions in 1994.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
antiquarian and the Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
Bishop of Down, Connor and Dromore
Bishop of Down, Connor and Dromore
The Bishop of Down, Connor and Dromore was the Ordinary of the Church of Ireland diocese of Down, Connor and Dromore; comprising all County Down and County Antrim, including the city of Belfast.-History:...
from 1886 until his death. He was the last private keeper of the Book of Armagh
Book of Armagh
The Book of Armagh or Codex Ardmachanus , also known as the Canon of Patrick and the Liber Armachanus, is a 9th-century Irish manuscript written mainly in Latin. It is held by the Library of Trinity College, Dublin...
and at the time of his death was President of the Royal Irish Academy
Royal Irish Academy
The Royal Irish Academy , based in Dublin, is an all-Ireland, independent, academic body that promotes study and excellence in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is one of Ireland's premier learned societies and cultural institutions and currently has around 420 Members, elected in...
.
Early life
Born at CharlevilleCharleville, County Cork
Charleville or Ráth Luirc is a town in north County Cork, Ireland, situated in Ireland's Golden Vale, near the border with County Limerick. It is located on the "Glen" tributary river, which flows into the Maigue River in Co. Limerick...
, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, on 16 March 1815, Reeves was the eldest child of Boles D'Arcy Reeves, an attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, whose wife Mary was a daughter of Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
Jonathan Bruce Roberts, land agent to the 8th Earl of Cork
Earl of Cork
Earl of the County of Cork, usually shortened to Earl of Cork, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1620 for the Anglo-Irish politician Richard Boyle, 1st Baron Boyle...
. This grandfather had fought at the Battle of Bunker's Hill, and Reeves was born at his house in Charleville.
From 1823, Reeves was educated at the school of John Browne in Leeson Street, Dublin, and after that at a school kept by the Rev. Edward Geoghegan. In October 1830, he entered Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
, where he quickly gained a prize for Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
. In his third year he became a scholar
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
and went on to graduate BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1835. He proceeded to read medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
, won the Berkeley Medal, and graduated MB in 1837. His object in taking his second degree was that he intended to become a clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
man and to practice the medical profession among the poor of his parish.
Life and work
In 1838, he was appointed Master of the diocesan school in BallymenaBallymena
Ballymena is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the 2001 Census....
, County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
, and was ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
a deacon of Hillsborough
Hillsborough, County Down
Hillsborough is a village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland, situated from the city of Belfast. It is within the Lisburn City Council area....
. The next year, he was ordained a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
of the Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
at Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
.
In 1844, Reeves rediscovered the lost site of Nendrum Monastery
Nendrum Monastery
Nendrum Monastery was a Christian monastery on Mahee Island in Strangford Lough, County Down, Northern Ireland. Medieval records say it was founded in the 5th century, but this is uncertain. The monastery came to an end at some time between 974 and 1178, but its church served a parish until the...
when he visited Mahee Island in Strangford Lough
Strangford Lough
Strangford Lough, sometimes Strangford Loch, is a large sea loch or inlet in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is separated from the Irish Sea by the Ards Peninsula. The name Strangford is derived ; describing the fast-flowing narrows at its mouth...
, County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
, searching for churches recorded in 1306, and recognized the remains of a round tower
Irish round tower
Irish round towers , Cloigthithe – literally "bell house") are early medieval stone towers of a type found mainly in Ireland, with three in Scotland and one on the Isle of Man...
.
By 1845, Reeves was corresponding with the Irish scholar John O'Donovan
John O'Donovan (scholar)
John O'Donovan , from Atateemore, in the parish of Kilcolumb, County Kilkenny, and educated at Hunt's Academy, Waterford, was an Irish language scholar from Ireland.-Life:...
, and an archive of their letters between 1845 and 1860 is preserved at University College, Dublin. In July 1845, Reeves visited London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Reeves's career was furthered by his learned work. His first book, published in 1847, was his Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore, but by then he was already a member of the Royal Irish Academy
Royal Irish Academy
The Royal Irish Academy , based in Dublin, is an all-Ireland, independent, academic body that promotes study and excellence in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is one of Ireland's premier learned societies and cultural institutions and currently has around 420 Members, elected in...
. By the time he published his Acts of Archbishop Colton (1850) he was also a Doctor of divinity
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
. In 1850, as in 1847, he was Perpetual Curate of Kilconriola.
Reeves resided in Ballymena
Ballymena
Ballymena is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the 2001 Census....
from 1841 to 1858, when he was appointed vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
of Lusk
Lusk, County Dublin
Lusk is a village in Ireland located north of Dublin city centre. The name "Lusk" is said to date back to St. MacCullin, who founded a church there c.450. Oral tradition suggests MacCullin may have either lived in or been buried in a cave and that the name "Lusk" derives from an old Gaelic word...
following the success of his edition of Adomnán's Life of Saint Columba
Columba
Saint Columba —also known as Colum Cille , Colm Cille , Calum Cille and Kolban or Kolbjørn —was a Gaelic Irish missionary monk who propagated Christianity among the Picts during the Early Medieval Period...
(1857). He had worked on this with Dr James Henthorn Todd
James Henthorn Todd
James Henthorn Todd was a biblical scholar, educator, and Irish historian. He is noted for his efforts to place religious disagreements on a rational historical footing, for his advocacy of a liberal form of Protestantism, and for his endeavours as an educator, librarian, and scholar in Irish...
, who was patron
Patronage
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings or popes have provided to musicians, painters, and sculptors...
of the living
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
at Lusk. Reeves's edition of Adomnán's Life of Columba has been called "the best and fullest collection of materials on the early Irish Church
Celtic Christianity
Celtic Christianity or Insular Christianity refers broadly to certain features of Christianity that were common, or held to be common, across the Celtic-speaking world during the Early Middle Ages...
in one volume". With regard to the Celtic Church, Reeves himself described Adomnán's work as –
Book of Armagh
The Book of Armagh or Codex Ardmachanus , also known as the Canon of Patrick and the Liber Armachanus, is a 9th-century Irish manuscript written mainly in Latin. It is held by the Library of Trinity College, Dublin...
, paying three hundred pounds
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
for it. He sold the book for the same sum to Archbishop Beresford
John George de la Poer Beresford
Lord John George de la Poer Beresford PC was an Anglican archbishop and Primate.-Background:Born at Tyrone House, he was the second surviving son of George de La Poer Beresford, 1st Marquess of Waterford and his wife Elizabeth, only daughter of Henry Monck and maternal granddaughter of Henry...
, who had agreed to present it to Trinity, Reeves's alma mater.
Crockford's Clerical Directory
Crockford's Clerical Directory
Crockford's Clerical Directory is the authoritative directory of the Anglican Communion in the UK, containing details of English, Welsh and Irish benefices and churches, and biographies of around 26,000 clergy...
for 1868 gives him as "Reeves, William, DD, Rural Dean
Rural Dean
In the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church, a Rural Dean presides over a Rural Deanery .-Origins and usage:...
, Rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of Tynan
Tynan
Tynan is a village and townland in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It lies within the civil parish of Tynan and barony of Tiranny.- History :Tynan won the status as the most well preserved rural Irish village in 1993...
, Librarian Armagh Library (Armagh
Armagh
Armagh is a large settlement in Northern Ireland, and the county town of County Armagh. It is a site of historical importance for both Celtic paganism and Christianity and is the seat, for both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland, of the Archbishop of Armagh...
)".
Reeves was a friend of Margaret Stokes
Margaret Stokes
Margaret McNair Stokes was an Irish antiquarian noted for her illustrations.Born in Dublin, she was the daughter of Sir William Stokes and his wife Mary . One brother, Whitley Stokes, was a leading Celticist, a second, William, followed their father into medicine and was a leading surgeon...
and with his colleague Todd is credited with setting off her interest in Irish antiquities.
The author and antiquarian Samuel Ferguson
Samuel Ferguson
Sir Samuel Ferguson was an Irish poet, barrister, antiquarian, artist and public servant. Perhaps the most important Ulster-Scot poet of the 19th century, because of his interest in Irish mythology and early Irish history he can be seen as a forerunner of William Butler Yeats and the other poets...
wrote of Reeves in 1867:
In 1886, Reeves was appointed as Bishop of Down, Connor and Dromore
Bishop of Down, Connor and Dromore
The Bishop of Down, Connor and Dromore was the Ordinary of the Church of Ireland diocese of Down, Connor and Dromore; comprising all County Down and County Antrim, including the city of Belfast.-History:...
, and in 1891 was elected as President of the Royal Irish Academy. As bishop, he resided at Conway House, Dunmurry
Dunmurry
Dunmurry is an urban townland, in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Located between Belfast and Lisburn, it was once a rural village, but is now within the Greater Belfast conurbation...
, County Antrim, and signed his name "Wm. Down and Connor".
Reeves died in Dublin on 12 January 1892, while still President of the Academy. At the time of his death, he was working on a diplomatic edition of the Book of Armagh, by then in the Trinity College Library
Trinity College Library, Dublin
Trinity College Library Dublin, the centrally-administered library of Trinity College, Dublin, is the largest library in Ireland. As a "copyright library", it has legal deposit rights for material published in the Republic of Ireland; it is also the only Irish library to hold such rights for the...
. The work was completed by Dr John Gwynn and published in 1913.
In November 1889, Reeves had bought the important collection of Irish manuscripts of Robert Shipboy MacAdam (1808–1895), a Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
business man and archaeologist. In 1892, after Reeves's death, this collection was bought for the Royal Irish Academy by the Rev. Maxwell Close and is still held by the Academy, under the name of 'The Mac Adam and Reeves Collection'.
Mary, Lady Ferguson, the widow of Reeves's friend Sir Samuel Ferguson, published a biography in 1893, The Life of the Right Rev. William Reeves, DD, Lord Bishop of Down, Connor and Dromore, and this reproduces a portrait of him.
A Catalogue of the Library of the Late Right Rev. William Reeves (1892) contains sections relating to the Royal Irish Academy, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, the Athanasian Creed
Athanasian Creed
The Athanasian Creed is a Christian statement of belief, focusing on Trinitarian doctrine and Christology. The Latin name of the creed, Quicumque vult, is taken from the opening words, "Whosoever wishes." The Athanasian Creed has been used by Christian churches since the sixth century...
, the Utrecht Psalter
Utrecht Psalter
The Utrecht Psalter is a ninth century illuminated psalter which is a key masterpiece of Carolingian art; it is probably the most valuable manuscript in the Netherlands. It is famous for its 166 lively pen illustrations, with one accompanying each psalm and the other texts in the manuscript...
, the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
, and 'Household Furniture'.
In 1941 Reeves's papers, including some in the Irish language
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
, were donated to Marsh's Library
Marsh's Library
Marsh's Library, situated in St. Patrick's Close, adjacent to St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, Ireland is the oldest public library in Ireland. It was built to the order of Archbishop Narcissus Marsh in 1701 and has a collection of over 25,000 books and 300 manuscripts.-Foundation:The library was...
by Dean Webster.
Reeves's Notices of Certain Crannogs... in the Counties of Antrim and Londonderry (1860) and his The Culdees of the British Islands (1864) both appeared in new editions in 1994.
Publications
- 'A description of NendrumNendrum MonasteryNendrum Monastery was a Christian monastery on Mahee Island in Strangford Lough, County Down, Northern Ireland. Medieval records say it was founded in the 5th century, but this is uncertain. The monastery came to an end at some time between 974 and 1178, but its church served a parish until the...
, commonly called Mahee Island, embracing its present condition and past history', in Ulster Journal of Archaeology (second series) 8, 13–22, 58–68 (1845, reprinted 1902) - Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore, consisting of a Taxation of those Dioceses (Dublin: Hodges and Smith, 1847)
- Five Chromolithographic Drawings, Representing an Irish Ecclesiastical Bell which is Supposed to Have Belonged to Saint Patrick, and the Several Sides of the Jewelled Shrine in which it is Preserved; Accompanied by a Historical and Illustrative Description (Marcus Ward & Co., 1850)
- Acts of Archbishop Colton in His Metropolitan Visitation of the Diocese of Derry (Dublin: Irish Archaeological Society, 1850)
- Description of the Codex Maelbrighte: An Irish Manuscript of the Four Gospels, Preserved in the British Museum (Dublin: M. H. Gill, printer to the Royal Irish Academy, 1851, "Extracted, by permission, from the Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, vol. V. pp. 45–67")
- Account of an Ancient Scotch Deed (1852)
- Kilnasaggart (1853)
- Saint Mura (1853)
- 'The Seal of Hugh O'Neill' in Ulster Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 1 (1853)
- 'The Island of Tiree', in Ulster Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 2 (1854)
- Memoir of the Church of Ballymena (1854)
- Papers on the Ancient Abbatial Succession in Ireland and the Irish Monastery of Honau, on the Rhine (Dublin: M. H. Gill, printer to the Royal Irish Academy, 1857)
- The Life of St Columba, founder of Hy; written by Adamnan, ninth Abbot of that Monastery, edited from an 8th century codex (Dublin University Press for the Irish Archaeological and Celtic Society, 1857)
- Hymnus Sancti Aidi (from the Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 8 November 1858)
- Memoir of the Church of St. Duilech in the Diocese of Dublin; Commonly Called Saint Doulagh's: Containing a Paper Read Before the Royal Irish Academy on Monday, 11 April 1859 (Printed at the Dublin University Press by M. H. Gill, 1859)
- Notices of Certain Crannogs, or Artificial Islands, Which Have Been Discovered in the Counties of Antrim and Londonderry (Dublin: M. H. Gill, 1860)
- On Marianus ScotusMarianus ScotusMarianus Scotus , was an Irish monk and chronicler , was an Irishman by birth, and called Máel Brigte, or Devotee of St...
, of Ratisbon (1860) - The Ancient Churches of Armagh: Being the Substance of a Paper Read Before the Armagh Natural History and Philosophical Society, on the 14th of March, 1860 (Published by and printed for the author, 1860, 54 pp.)
- 'On Augustin, an Irish writer of the 7th Century', in Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, Vol. II, 1861
- On the Townland Distribution of Ireland, Read before the Royal Irish Academy 22 April 1861, and reprinted from the Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy (Royal Irish Academy, 1861)
- Memoir of the Book of Armagh (Revised edition of an article published in Swords parish magazine, March and April 1861))
- Memoir of Stephen WhiteStephen White (Jesuit)Stephen White, SJ was a Jesuit author and antiquarian who wrote about the early Irish saints.He was born in Clonmel, Ireland, to a family devoted to religion and education. In 1592, Trinity College, Dublin was founded, and S. White was one of the few students named in the charter...
(Royal Irish Academy, 1861) - 'Saint MaelrubhaMáel RubaMáel Ruba , Máelrubai , Maol Rubha , or Malruibhe , sometimes Latinised as Rufus, is a saint of the Celtic Church...
: His History and Churches', in Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, III (1857–60), pp. 258–96 - 'On the Island of Sanda', a paper read before the Royal Irish Academy on 14 April 1862 (Dublin, 1862)
- 'On Some Ecclesiastical Bells in the Collection of the Lord Primate', in Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, paper read on 14 December 1863
- On SS. Marinus and Anianus, Two Irish Missionaries of the Seventh Century (Royal Irish Academy, 1863)
- The Martyrology of Donegal: A Calendar of the Saints of Ireland, ed. with James Henthorn ToddJames Henthorn ToddJames Henthorn Todd was a biblical scholar, educator, and Irish historian. He is noted for his efforts to place religious disagreements on a rational historical footing, for his advocacy of a liberal form of Protestantism, and for his endeavours as an educator, librarian, and scholar in Irish...
from a translation by John O'DonovanJohn O'Donovan (scholar)John O'Donovan , from Atateemore, in the parish of Kilcolumb, County Kilkenny, and educated at Hunt's Academy, Waterford, was an Irish language scholar from Ireland.-Life:...
(Dublin: Irish Archaeological and Celtic Society, 1864) - The Culdees of the British Islands, as They Appear in History (Dublin: M. H. Gill, 1864)
- On the Céli-dé, Commonly Called Culdees (Dublin: Published by the Academy, 1864, 145 pages)
- A Sermon Preached at the Consecration of the Church of St. Patrick of Ardagh, in the Diocese of Clogher, on the 13th Day of October, 1868 (1869, 35 pp.)
- 'On an Ancient Inscribed Shrine-arch' in Journal of the Historical and Archæological Association of Ireland, 1869
- Analysis of the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough (Dublin, George Drought, 6, Bachelor's-walk, 1869)
- A Brief Statement of the Contents of the Diocese of Glendaloch Proper (1869)
- The Book of Common Prayer, According to the Use of the Church of Ireland (Dublin: Hodges, Foster, & Co., 1871)
- Life of St Columba (Edinburgh: Edmonton & Douglas, new edition 1874)
- Memoir of Octavian del Palacio, Archbishop of Armagh, MCCCCLXXX–MDXIII (Ponsonby and Murphy, at the University Press, 1875, impression of 100 copies reprinted from the Journal of the Royal Historical and Archæological Association of Ireland, Fourth Series, Vol. III)
- On a MS. Volume of Lives of Saints, chiefly Irish, now in Primate Marsh's Library, Dublin, commonly called the Codex Kilkenniensis, paper read before the Royal Irish Academy (Dublin University Press, 1877)
- 'A historical and descriptive memoir of the Clog an edachta, commonly known as St. Patrick's bell or the bell of Armagh' (1877)
- Observations upon a Letter from the Late John Forster, Presented to the Academy by the Lord Bishop of Killaloe (Ponsonby and Murphy, printers to the Royal Irish Academy, 1879)
- Introduction to William George Carroll's Succession of Clergy in the Parishes of S. Bride, S. Michael Le Pole, and S. Stephen, Dublin (1884)
- The Primacy of Ireland: Resident in the See of Armagh for Fourteen Centuries (1886)
- A Memoir of the Public Library of Armagh (Chiswick Press, 1886)
- The Epistles of St. Ignatius and St. Polycarp, with an Introductory Preface Comprising a History of the Christian Church in the Second Century (London: Griffith Farran Okeden & Welsh, 1889)
- Irish Form of Consecration of Churches (Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1893, 31 pp.)
- A Lecture on the Antiquities of Swords: Delivered at Swords, in the Borough Schoolhouse, on Wednesday Evg., Sep 12, 1860 (C. W. Gibbs & Son, 1898)
- Nendhrum — Mahee Island (published posthumously, 1902)
- History of the Parish of Tynan in the County of Armagh: With Notices of the O'Neill, Hovenden, Stronge and Other Families Connected with the District (incorporating work by Reeves, completed by John J. Marshall) (Tyrone Printing Co., 1932)
- On the townland distribution of Ireland: a paper (Braid Books, 1992, ISBN 1873345011, ISBN 978-1873345016, 20 pp., republished from Royal Irish Academy paper of 1861 with contributions by Eull Dunlop)
- The Culdees of the British Islands, as They Appear in History: With an Appendix of Evidences (Llanerch, 1994, ISBN 1897853297, ISBN 978-1897853290)
- Notices of Certain Crannogs, or Artificial Islands, Which Have Been Discovered in the Counties of Antrim and Londonderry (new edn. by Moyola Books, 1994, ISBN 1873345151, ISBN 978-1873345153)
External links
- Reeves, William, Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor, and Dromore (1847) — full text online at books.google.com
- Reeves, William, Acts of Archbishop Colton (1850) — full text online at books.google.com
- Reeves, William, The Life of St. Columba, founder of Hy; written by Adamnan, ninth Abbot of that Monastery (1857) — full text online at books.google.com
- O'Donovan, JohnJohn O'Donovan (scholar)John O'Donovan , from Atateemore, in the parish of Kilcolumb, County Kilkenny, and educated at Hunt's Academy, Waterford, was an Irish language scholar from Ireland.-Life:...
(trans.), ed. James Henthorn ToddJames Henthorn ToddJames Henthorn Todd was a biblical scholar, educator, and Irish historian. He is noted for his efforts to place religious disagreements on a rational historical footing, for his advocacy of a liberal form of Protestantism, and for his endeavours as an educator, librarian, and scholar in Irish...
& William Reeves, The Martyrology of Donegal: A Calendar of the Saints of Ireland (1864) — full text online at books.google.com