Bell was born in Hampstead, the son of the publisher George Bell. He was educated at St Paul's School, London and attended Trinity College, Cambridge, graduating in 1873 with an BA and an MA in 1876. During his time at Cambridge, Bell had joined the RSPCA in 1873 and in 1874 had become a vegetarian after reading Dr. Thomas Low Nichols' pamphlet How to Live on Sixpence a Day. Bell learned German in Dresden after graduation. Bell's first wife was Elize Wilhelmina Wolfel, who died around 1881; they had one daughter together. In 1893, he married Marie Anna von Taysen; they had no children. Bell spent most of his adult life working for his father's publishing company George Bell & Sons; he was one of the first known English publishers to be a follower of Ralph Waldo Emerson. He spent much time on the "administration and fund-raising for three main reform causes: vegetarianism, humanitarianism, and animal welfare." Bell wrote the Preface for E. W. Bowdich's vegetarian cookbookNew Vegetarian Dishes, in 1893. He was also the editor of the Animals Life Readers, a series of books and launched the journal Animals' Friend. He became a member of the Vegetarian Society and was elected a Vice-President in 1896 and was President from 1914. Bell was a friend of Henry S. Salt and was Chairman of the Humanitarian League. He was also a close friend of fellow animal campaigner Jessey Wade, who worked for him as his secretary until his death. For thirty years, Bell was the Honorary Secretary of the Hampstead Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. He was also the Chairman of the Committee of the Anti-Vivisection Society and of the National Anti-Vivisection Society and involved with the Anti-Bearing Rein Association, National Canine Defence League and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Bell founded the League Against Cruel Sports in 1924 with Henry B. Amos, Jessey Wade and George Greenwood. Bell became chairman of the board of directors of George Bell & Sons in 1926 and in 1929, he received a lifetime award from a collaboration between 22 different animal societies. Bell died in Hendon in 1933, at the age of 82.
Contributions to organisations
Bell donated a significant amount of his income to various societies throughout his life. He also co-founded and worked for a number of animal and vegetarian organisations:
A library to preserve Bell's writings known as the Ernest Bell Library, was proposed by Henry S. Salt in 1934 and was established by the executive of the Vegetarian Society in 1936. The library has more than 1,500 books, journals, magazines and newspapers. It is currently cared for by The Humanitarian League, a Hong Kong based organisation named after the original Humanitarian League.
