Subject

Cinematographer. Younger brother of Thomas James Gobbett (1882-1915).

David William Gobbett was born on 12 August 1884, the second of the seven children of David William Gobbert (1855-1929) and Ann Gobbett née Ward (1857-1907). His birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1884 in the St George in the East registration district.

On 31 August 1884 he was baptised in St George in the East Church, 14 Cannon Street Road, London, E1, where the baptismal register shows the family living at 1 Little Turner Street, Commercial Road, and that his father was described as a traveller. (Little Turner Street was subsequently renamed as Rampart Street).

In the 1891 census he was shown as a scholar, living at 72 Blackthorn Street, Bromley-by-Bow, with his parents and three siblings, Thomas James Gobbett (1882-1915), Phillip Frederick Gobbett (b.1888) and Elizabeth Ann Gobbett (1890-1969). His father was shown as a matting manufacturer and his mother as a matting weaver.

Having attended the Devons Road Wesleyan School, Bow Common, on 14 June 1892 both he and his brother, Thomas James Gobbett, were registered at Dr Barnardo's School, later known as Copperfield Road (Doctor Barnardo's Free) School, but they both left this school on 3 September 1892. The register shows the family address as 19 Kirks Place, Tower Hamlets.

The 1901 census lists him at 52 Wouldham Street, Canning Town, with his parents and five siblings, Thomas James Gobbett, Elizabeth Ann Gobbett, Ellen Martha Gobbett (b.1893), Alice Betsy Gobbett (1896-1972) and Ann Gobbett (b.1899). His occupation was recorded as a mat manufacturer as were his parents and his brother Thomas James Gobbett. 

He married Gertrude Godley (1882-1954), the marriage being registered in the 1st quarter of 1908 in the Brighton registration district and the birth of their son, Royston Henry Gobbett (1912-1974) was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1912 in the Brighton registration district.

On 12 July 1916 he left Liverpool, bound for New York, USA, aboard the RMS Baltic of the White Star Line with his wife and son as 2nd class passengers. In the ship's manifest he is described as a cinema operator. The Internet Movie Database website lists nine films between 1914 and 1928 in which he is credited as the cinematographer.

He is shown as a 1st class passenger aboard the RMS Majestic of the White Star Line arriving in Southampton, Hampshire, on 12 August 1927 having departed from New York, USA. The ship's manifest gives his occupation as a cinematographer and records his intended residence address in the UK as 8 Robert Street, Brighton.

The 1939 England and Wales Register shows him living at 1 The Drive, Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex with a Gladys Rainsford Hannay (1892-1974). His occupation was recorded as a cinematographer.

He died, aged 88 years, his death being registered in the 1st quarter of 1973 in the Christchurch, Hampshire, registration district.