DOBELL, BERTRAM (1842-1914), English bookseller and man of letters, the discoverer of the poet Thomas Traherne, was born at Battle, Sussex, the son of a tailor; he died at Hamp stead on Dec. 14, 1914. The father moved to London, and there fell ill; the son became an errand-boy and began to collect old books from the stalls. In 1869 he set up business as a bookseller on a capital of f Io, and in 1887 moved to Charing Cross road, where his shop became famous and his catalogues interesting for their literary gossip. Dobell met James Thomson in 1876, and helped him from that time to his death; in 1895 he edited the Poetical Works of his friend, with a memoir. His literary work also included the publication of much useful work on Shelley and Charles Lamb. After his death some volumes of his verse contain ing some admirable sonnets were issued by his son. But his reputation rests chiefly on the identification of Thomas Traherne, whose Poetical Works he edited in 1903. For the story of that identification see TRAHERNE, THOMAS.
See S. Bradbury, Bertram Dobell (5909) .