SOMERBY, Horatio Gates, genealogist, born in Newburyport, Massachusetts, 24 December, 1805; died in London, England, 14 November, 1872. His ancestor, Anthony, came from England to Newbury, Massachusetts, in 1639. He received a public-school education in his native town, studied art in Boston, and had a studio in Troy, New York, for several years, but in 1832 returned to Boston, where he was a fancy painter and japanner. After 1845 he resided chiefly in London as a professional genealogist, and was the first American to devote himself exclusively to such work. He became very skilful, and many families in this country availed themselves of his services in tracing their English ancestry. Mr. Somerby was on confidential terms with George Peabody, and became secretary to the board of trustees of the Peabody fund. He was a member of the New England historic-genealogical society, to whose publications he contributed valuable papers, and a large quantity of his unpublished material is in possession of the Massachusetts historical society, with which he had been connected since 1859. He was the originator of systematic research for the purpose of connecting New England families with their ancestors in Great Britain.--His brother, Frederic Thomas, author, born in Newburyport, 4 January, 1814; died in Worcester, Massachusetts, 18 January, 1871, was educated in his native place, and became an ornamental painter. He was for many years a correspondent of the Boston " Post" and the "Spirit of the Times," and published, under the name of "Cymon," "Hits and Dashes, or a Medley of Sketches and Scraps touching People and Things" (Boston, 1852).