Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Reeves, John

REEVES, John, English jurist, b. in England in 1752; d. there in 1829. He was educated at Merton college, Oxford, called to the bar about 1780, and in 1791-'2 was chief justice of Newfoundland. In the latter year he founded the Association for preserving liberty and property against Levellers and Republicans. He became one of the king's printers in 1800, was superintendent of aliens in 1803-'14, and was also a law-clerk to the board of trade. His numerous publications include “History of the English Law” (2 vols., London, 1783-'4; with additions, 4 vols., 1787; completed, 1829); “History of the Government of Newfoundland” (1793); and two tracts, showing that Americans who were born before the war of independence are not aliens by the laws of England (1814 and 1816).