Dobson was born the son of Thomas and Maria Dobson of Hackney.[3] He was educated at Congregational School, Hackney. In 1875 he married Caroline Jane Potterveld of Hackney. He settled in Park Hill Road, Croydon.[4]
Dobson was a member of Croydon School Board from 1879 to 1885. He was a member of Croydon Council from 1885 to 1905. He served as a Justice of the peace in Croydon.[4] He was Liberal candidate for the Plymouth division of Devon at the 1906 General Election. He introduced and carried in Parliament, Willett's Daylight Saving Bill.[3] He did not seek re-election at Plymouth at the following general election in January 1910. He was chosen as Liberal candidate for the 1912 Nottingham East by-election. This was a Conservative seat, however he managed to reduce the Unionist majority at the by-election. He switched back contest the new seat of Plymouth Drake at the 1918 election. However, the Coalition government endorsement went to his Tory opponent and he came second. He then switched to contest Croydon South, his own local constituency, in 1922, not a promising seat and finished in third place. He did not stand for parliament again.[5]
The Liberal Year Book, 1907</ref><ref name=\"ReferenceA\">British Parliamentary Election Results, 1885-1918 FWS Craig</ref>"}},"i":0}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box candidate with party link","href":"./Template:Election_box_candidate_with_party_link"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"\n"},"party":{"wt":"Liberal Party (UK)"},"candidate":{"wt":"Thomas Dobson"},"votes":{"wt":"9,021"},"percentage":{"wt":"29.4"},"change":{"wt":"+5.4"}},"i":1}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box candidate with party link","href":"./Template:Election_box_candidate_with_party_link"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"\n"},"party":{"wt":"Liberal Party (UK)"},"candidate":{"wt":"[[Charles Mallet]]"},"votes":{"wt":"8,914"},"percentage":{"wt":"29.0"},"change":{"wt":"+5.8"}},"i":2}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box candidate with party link","href":"./Template:Election_box_candidate_with_party_link"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"\n"},"party":{"wt":"Conservative Party (UK)"},"candidate":{"wt":"[[Henry Duke, 1st Baron Merrivale|Henry Duke]]"},"votes":{"wt":"6,547"},"percentage":{"wt":"21.3"},"change":{"wt":"−5.1"}},"i":3}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box candidate with party link","href":"./Template:Election_box_candidate_with_party_link"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"\n"},"party":{"wt":"Conservative Party (UK)"},"candidate":{"wt":"H G Smith"},"votes":{"wt":"6,234"},"percentage":{"wt":"20.3"},"change":{"wt":"−6.1"}},"i":4}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box majority","href":"./Template:Election_box_majority"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"\n"},"votes":{"wt":"2,367"},"percentage":{"wt":"7.7"},"change":{"wt":"n/a"}},"i":5}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box turnout","href":"./Template:Election_box_turnout"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"\n"},"votes":{"wt":""},"percentage":{"wt":"85.3"},"change":{"wt":"+0.5"}},"i":6}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box registered electors","href":"./Template:Election_box_registered_electors"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"\n"},"reg. electors":{"wt":"18,196"}},"i":7}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box gain with party link","href":"./Template:Election_box_gain_with_party_link"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"\n"},"winner":{"wt":"Liberal Party (UK)"},"loser":{"wt":"Conservative Party (UK)"},"swing":{"wt":"+5.3"}},"i":8}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box gain with party link","href":"./Template:Election_box_gain_with_party_link"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"\n"},"winner":{"wt":"Liberal Party (UK)"},"loser":{"wt":"Conservative Party (UK)"},"swing":{"wt":"+6.0"}},"i":9}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box end","href":"./Template:Election_box_end"},"params":{},"i":10}}]}'>
Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916</ref><ref name=\"craig1885\">{{cite book|editor1-last=Craig|editor1-first=F. W. S.|title=British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918|date=1974|publisher=Macmillan Press|location=London|isbn=9781349022984}}</ref>"}},"i":0}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box candidate with party link","href":"./Template:Election_box_candidate_with_party_link"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"\n"},"party":{"wt":"Unionist Party (UK)"},"candidate":{"wt":"[[John Rees (civil servant)|John Rees]]"},"votes":{"wt":"6,482"},"percentage":{"wt":"55.7"},"change":{"wt":"−0.9"}},"i":1}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box candidate with party link","href":"./Template:Election_box_candidate_with_party_link"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"\n"},"party":{"wt":"Liberal Party (UK)"},"candidate":{"wt":"Thomas Dobson"},"votes":{"wt":"5,158"},"percentage":{"wt":"44.3"},"change":{"wt":"+0.9"}},"i":2}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box majority","href":"./Template:Election_box_majority"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"\n"},"votes":{"wt":"1,324"},"percentage":{"wt":"11.4"},"change":{"wt":"−1.8"}},"i":3}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box turnout","href":"./Template:Election_box_turnout"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"\n"},"votes":{"wt":"11,640"},"percentage":{"wt":"83.9"},"change":{"wt":"+0.1"}},"i":4}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box registered electors","href":"./Template:Election_box_registered_electors"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"\n"},"reg. electors":{"wt":"13,866"}},"i":5}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box hold with party link","href":"./Template:Election_box_hold_with_party_link"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"\n"},"winner":{"wt":"Unionist Party (UK)"},"swing":{"wt":"−0.9"}},"i":6}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box end","href":"./Template:Election_box_end"},"params":{},"i":7}}]}'>
British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig</ref>"}},"i":0}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box candidate with party link coalition 1918","href":"./Template:Election_box_candidate_with_party_link_coalition_1918"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"\n"},"party":{"wt":"Unionist Party (UK)"},"candidate":{"wt":"[[Arthur Shirley Benn, 1st Baron Glenravel|Arthur Benn]]"},"votes":{"wt":"17,188"},"percentage":{"wt":"73.4"},"change":{"wt":""}},"i":1}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box candidate with party link","href":"./Template:Election_box_candidate_with_party_link"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"\n"},"party":{"wt":"Liberal Party (UK)"},"candidate":{"wt":"Thomas Dobson"},"votes":{"wt":"6,225"},"percentage":{"wt":"26.6"},"change":{"wt":""}},"i":2}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box majority","href":"./Template:Election_box_majority"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"\n"},"votes":{"wt":"10,963"},"percentage":{"wt":"46.8"},"change":{"wt":""}},"i":3}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box turnout","href":"./Template:Election_box_turnout"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"\n"},"votes":{"wt":"23,413"},"percentage":{"wt":""},"change":{"wt":""}},"i":4}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box new seat win\n","href":"./Template:Election_box_new_seat_win"},"params":{"winner":{"wt":"Unionist Party (UK)"},"swing":{"wt":""}},"i":5}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box end 1918","href":"./Template:Election_box_end_1918"},"params":{},"i":6}}]}'>
F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1949</ref>"}},"i":0}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box candidate with party link","href":"./Template:Election_box_candidate_with_party_link"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"\n"},"party":{"wt":"Unionist Party (UK)"},"candidate":{"wt":"[[Allan Smith (solicitor)|Allan Smith]]"},"votes":{"wt":"15,356"},"percentage":{"wt":"47.3"},"change":{"wt":"−24.5"}},"i":1}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box candidate with party link","href":"./Template:Election_box_candidate_with_party_link"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"\n"},"party":{"wt":"Labour Party (UK)"},"candidate":{"wt":"[[H.T. Muggeridge]]"},"votes":{"wt":"8,942"},"percentage":{"wt":"27.5"},"change":{"wt":"−0.7"}},"i":2}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box candidate with party link","href":"./Template:Election_box_candidate_with_party_link"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"\n"},"party":{"wt":"Liberal Party (UK)"},"candidate":{"wt":"Thomas Dobson"},"votes":{"wt":"8,183"},"percentage":{"wt":"25.2"},"change":{"wt":"n/a"}},"i":3}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box majority","href":"./Template:Election_box_majority"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"\n"},"votes":{"wt":"6,414"},"percentage":{"wt":"19.8"},"change":{"wt":"−23.8"}},"i":4}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box turnout","href":"./Template:Election_box_turnout"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"\n"},"votes":{"wt":"32,481"},"percentage":{"wt":"66.4"},"change":{"wt":"+11.4"}},"i":5}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box registered electors","href":"./Template:Election_box_registered_electors"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"\n"},"reg. electors":{"wt":"48,904"}},"i":6}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box hold with party link","href":"./Template:Election_box_hold_with_party_link"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"\n"},"winner":{"wt":"Unionist Party (UK)"},"swing":{"wt":"−11.9"}},"i":7}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Election box end","href":"./Template:Election_box_end"},"params":{},"i":8}}]}'>
