Born in Mușătești, his father Ion Dobrescu was a Romanian Orthodox priest. The family ancestors included "Pitar" Nicolae Popescu, who had fought in the Wallachian uprising of 1821, becoming secretary to its leader, Tudor Vladimirescu; Vladimirescu would serve as an inspiration to Dobrescu in his own efforts of social improvement. A grandfather, Toma, also credited as an influence on the young Dobrescu, had participated in the 1848 Revolution and had gone into hiding upon its defeat. Additionally, Dobrescu was much inspired by the political articles of Mihai Eminescu, which he also read out, and put into more accessible language, for his peasant constituents.