Humphrey Henchman


Humphrey Henchman was a Church of England clergyman and bishop of London from 1663 to 1675.

Early life

He was born in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, the son of Thomas Henchman, a skinner, and educated at Christ's College, Cambridge where he achieved BA in 1613 and MA in 1616. He became a Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge in 1617.

Ecclesiastical career

Ejected as a canon of Salisbury Cathedral, where he had been since 1623, during the First English Civil War, he joined the royalist forces, and had his estates confiscated. He was one of those who helped the future Charles II to escape the country after the Battle of Worcester of 1651. On the Restoration of 1660, he was made Bishop of Salisbury and in 1663 translated to be Bishop of London, where he saw both the Great Plague and the Great Fire of London.
He was also made Privy Councillor and Almoner to the King. In March, 1665 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.