he was married in 1838, and ordained afterwards,—according to the
custom of the Primitive Church. Promotion and pay did not come very rapidly. Nevertheless, when his father died in 1852, William Reeves divided equally the landed property which descended to him as eldest son. In 1857, he was appointed Vicar
of Lusk. Here he remained for nearly thirty years. At the age
of seventy-one he was elected Bishop by a large majority of votes (212-36). Whether he was to be Bishop of Armagh, and so Primate, was doubtful. This honour was conferred on the Bishop of Down, and Dr. Reeves succeeded to the vacant See. This bare outline of the facts of Dr. Reeves's life does not take account of the thing that made him famous, his profound acquaintance with Irish archnology. It is pleasant to read of the munificence with which Lord J. G. Beresford, Primate of Ireland, recognised his services ; but it must be said that the authorities, academical and political, had very little appreciation of his merits. His crowning honour came, it will have been Bean, from popular election.
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