Charles Denton Abel was born in London in 1831, the grandson of August Christian Andreas Abel, who was court miniature painter to the Grand Duke of Mecklenburgh Schwerin. and the younger brother of the chemist and explosives expert, Sir Frederick Abel, Chairman and Albert Medallist of the Society of Arts. Abel assisted in founding the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents in 1882, and was the first "vice president" of the Chartered Institute. and later served as President from 1897 to 1899. He died in 1906