reed was born in county monaghan, ireland in about 1831. he received his education from queen's college, belfast, from where he graduated in 1856. he was ordained as a presbyterian minister and went to france, switzerland, and in 1857 to victoria in australia. from 1861, he was minister in ipswich, queensland, and it was there that he married jessie chalmers ranken on 6 july 1863. he resigned from the ministry in 1866. reed was elected to the second legislative assembly of queensland for the district of ipswich in a ministerial by-election on 4 august 1866 and held this seat until the end of the parliamentary term on 19 june 1867.