BELL, CHARLES FREDERICK MOBERLY '91 '910, British journalist, was born in Alexandria, Egypt. Edu cated privately in England, he returned to Egypt in 1865, and there took up journalistic work, becoming The Times correspond ent and founding The Egyptian Gazette. He had been The Times correspondent in Egypt for nearly 20 years when Mr. Walter called him to London in 1890 at a moment when the fortunes of the paper were at their lowest ebb, after the Parnell-Piggott scandals. Although in some ways rather out of touch with technical developments, his strong will, indomitable courage and tremendous industry were instrumental in keeping The Times alive during some very difficult years. He enormously improved the foreign service; he wrote with his own hand to The Times correspondents abroad, giving them all the encouragement and backing in his power. This was the time when he was associated with Mr. H. E. Hooper in publishing and selling The Encyclo pædia Britannica and founding The Times Book Club. His dominating personality again asserted itself in 1908, when, in spite of much opposition, he brought about the sale of The Times to Lord Northcliffe. He then became managing editor, a post he retained until his death in his office chair on April 5 1911. In the introduction to his daughter's Life of him Sir Valentine Chirol says that if it was not given to Moberly Bell himself to bring The Times into smooth waters, "it was he who, in the darkest hours, saved it from utter shipwreck." While in Egypt, Bell wrote several books, including Khedives and Pashas (1884) ; Egyptian Finance (1887) ; From Pharaoh to Fellah (1889).
BIBLIOGRAPHY.--See F. Harcourt Kitchin, Moberly Bell and his Bibliography.--See F. Harcourt Kitchin, Moberly Bell and his Times (1925) ; E. H. C. Moberly Bell, Life and Letters of C. F. Moberly Bell (1927).