Author: Dolbeare, Benjamin
Biography:
DOLBEARE, Benjamin (1786?-1854)
When he published The Art of Courtship in Richmond VA in 1817, he was already "Doctor" Dolbeare, combining his medical practice with literary pursuits. The biographical notice "by a friend" in that volume is largely borne out by other histories, apart from the birthdate, which the "friend" gives as 1789. (The notice describes him as being "of a majestic appearance" and a favourite with the ladies; the author's own note following points out that the object of his amorous poetry is invariably marriage.) Born in Montville CT, the son of a farmer, he rejected the farming life, attended Dartmouth (without taking a degree), and trained as a physician in Plainfield CT. He married Maria Jane Marteney about 1820; they had a daughter and a son. They eventually settled in Clarksburg WV, where he owned and edited four short-lived newspapers in the 1840s. ("A few brief notices," The Art of Courtship; ancestry.com 21 Sept. 2018) HJ