on 12 Feb. 1768, Reed supplied a new character, Mrs. Doggerel. The play long held the stage, and was included in John Bell's, Cawthorn's, Mrs. Inchbald's, and other familiar collections. Reed next essayed a tragedy on the subject of Dido, and obtained an introduction to Dr. Johnson, with a view to submitting his labours to him. ‘I never did the man an injury,’ Dr. Johnson afterwards lamented, ‘yet he would read his tragedy to me.’ ‘Dido’ was acted at Drury Lane for Holland's benefit on 28 March 1767, with a prologue, written by Garrick and spoken by King, in which humorous reference was made to Reed's trade in halters. In 1787 Reed, in ‘The Retort Courteous, or a Candid Appeal,’ attacked Thomas Linley, the manager of Drury Lane, for declining to revive it. It was performed at Drury Lane, under the title of ‘The Queen of Carthage,’ for Palmer's benefit on 28 April 1797, when Mrs. Siddons played the heroine. Reed's friend, Joseph Ritson, prepared it for the press in 1792; but, although it was at once printed, it was not announced for publication till 1808. Before the day of publication arrived, however, all the copies were burnt in the fire at Nichols's printing-office, and it was never reprinted. Meanwhile, on 14 Jan. 1769, ‘Tom Jones,’ a comic opera, adapted by Reed from Fielding's novel, was produced at Covent Garden, with Shuter as Western and Mattocks as the hero; it was repeated thirteen times (Genest, v. 240–1). In 1772 Reed, in the ‘Morning Chronicle,’ defended Garrick—despite a pending quarrel between them—from the dastardly libels of Dr. William Kenrick, who had just issued his scandalous ‘Love in the Suds.’ Reed wrote under the pseudonym of ‘Benedict,’ and Kenrick reprinted his letters in the fifth edition of his pamphlet. Reed's last acted play was ‘The Impostors, or a Cure for Credulity,’ which he adapted from ‘Gil Blas,’ and brought out at Covent Garden, for Woodward's benefit, on 17 March 1776. Reed died on 15 Aug. 1787, aged 64, at his residence in Sun-tavern Fields, and was buried at Bunhill Fields. He married, in 1750, Sarah, daughter of John Watson, a flax-dresser of Stockton, and three children survived him. The eldest, John Watson Reed, was an attorney of Ely Place, Holborn, with antiquarian tastes; he died on 31 Jan. 1790.
Like other self-educated men, Reed formed an unwarrantably high opinion of his own literary achievements. But he had a caustic wit, and wrote with much energy. Joseph Ritson respected his talents, and designed a full collection of his works, which was never accomplished. Besides the publications already enumerated, Reed issued:
- ‘A British Philippic inscribed to the Earl of Granville,’ 1756, 4to.
- ‘The Tradesman's Companion, or Tables of Averdupois Weight,’ 1762, 12mo.
- ‘An Epitaph on the … Earl of Chatham,’ 1784.
- ‘St. Peter's Lodge, a Serio-comic Legendary Tale in Hudibrastic Verse,’ 1786, dedicated to the Prince of Wales.
- ‘A Rope's End for Hempen Monopolists, or a Dialogue between a Broker, a Ropemaker, and the Ghost of Jonas Hanway, Esq. In which are represented the pernicious effects of the rise in the price of hemp. By a Halter-maker at the service of all monopolists,’ 1786; an attack on those who were seeking to make a ‘corner’ in hemp.
In 1761 Reed contributed to the ‘Monitor,’ a periodical issued in support of the Earl of Bute's administration; and in 1764 he sent to the ‘Universal Museum’ an amusing autobiography.
[Nichols's Lit. Anecdotes, ix. 116–18; Chalmers's Biogr. Dict.; Universal Museum, 1764; Baker's Biogr. Dram.; Gent. Mag. 1787, ii. 745; Genest's Account of the Stage; Brit. Mus. Cat., which mentions very few of his works.]
REED, JOSEPH CHARLES (1822–1877), landscape-painter, born in 1822, was elected an associate of the New Water-Colour Society (afterwards the Institute of Painters in Water-Colours) in 1860, and became a full member in 1866. Between 1860 and his death, which took place in London, 26 Oct. 1877, he exhibited 186 landscapes at the gallery of the society, many of which were sold at high prices. The subjects were taken from all parts of the United Kingdom. He also exhibited once at the Royal Academy and three times in Suffolk Street.
[Redgrave's Dict. of Artists; Graves's Dict. of Artists.]
REED, Sir THOMAS (1796–1883), general, son of Thomas Reed of Dublin, by Eliza, daughter of Colonel Sir F. J. Buchanan, was born in Dublin in 1796. He entered the army as cornet in the 12th light dragoons on 26 Aug. 1813, and became lieutenant 2 May 1815. He was present with his regiment at Waterloo. It was commanded by Colonel Frederic Cavendish Ponsonby [q. v.], and formed part of Vandeleur's brigade. On 19 Feb. 1824 he was promoted captain, and on 7 Oct. of the same year obtained a company in the 53rd foot, in which regiment he became major 15 June 1826. On 11 Aug. 1829 he was promoted to a half-pay lieutenant-colonelcy, and on 30 May 1834 he became lieutenant-colonel of the 62nd foot, a
