The son of Bristol artist Thomas DANBY (1817-1886), who in turn was the son of Francis DANBY ARA (1793-1861) and the nephew of the artist James Francis DANBY (1816-1875).  All these men were landscape painters in both watercolours and oils, and painted wherever they travelled in Britain and on the continent.

Whybrow lists Thomas H Danby as being an associate of St Ives (1883-1900 painter list) and gives 26 Bowling Green Terrace and St Andrews St Studios as his addresses (p 210). He had studied at Bushey, and while in St Ives from 1899 he played both tennis and cricket, as Tovey reveals in his social history of the St Ives arts colony. His sister Helen Danby (as far as known, not an artist) was also active in the activities of the group, living locally.