Humphrey was born at
Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England. He was first educated at the
University of Cambridge. He was elected to a
demy at Magdalen College in 1546 and
Fellow in 1548. He graduated
BA in. 1549,
MA in 1552, and
BD and
DD in 1562. He was noted as one of the most promising pupils of
Pietro Martire Vermigli, and on
Mary's accession obtained leave from his college to travel abroad. He lived at
Basel,
Zürich, Frankfurt and
Geneva, making the acquaintance of the leading Swiss divines, whose ecclesiastical views he adopted. His leave of absence having expired in 1556, he ceased to be fellow of Magdalen. Humphrey returned to England at
Elizabeth I's accession, was appointed
Regius Professor of Divinity at
Oxford in 1560, and was recommended by
Archbishop Parker and others for election as President of Magdalen College. The fellows refused at first to elect so pronounced a reformer, but they yielded in 1561, and Humphrey gradually converted the college into a stronghold of
Puritanism. In 1564, Humphrey and his friend
Thomas Sampson, Dean of
Christ Church, Oxford, were called before Parker for refusing to wear the prescribed ecclesiastical vestments; and a prolonged struggle, the
vestments controversy, broke out, in which
Bullinger and other foreign theologians took part as well as most of the leading divines in England. In spite of Bullinger's advice, Humphrey refused to conform; and Parker wished to deprive him as well as Sampson. But the presidency of Magdalen was elective and the visitor of the college was not Parker but the
Bishop of Winchester; and Humphrey escaped with temporary retirement. Parker, in fact, was not supported by the council; in 1566 Humphrey was selected to preach at
St Paul's Cross, and was allowed to do so without the vestments. In the same year, Humphrey took a prominent part in the ceremonies connected with Elizabeth's visit to Oxford. On this occasion he wore his doctor's gown and habit, which the queen told him became him very well; and his resistance now began to weaken. He yielded on the point before 1571 when he was made
dean of Gloucester. In 1578 he was one of the divines selected to attend a diet at
Schmalkalde to discuss the project of a theological accommodation between the
Lutheran and
Reformed churches; and in 1580 he was made
Dean of Winchester. In 1585 he was persuaded by his bishop, Cooper, to restore the use of
surplices in Magdalen College chapel. He died on 1 February 1590 and was buried in the college chapel, where there is a mural monument to his memory; a portrait is in Magdalen College school. ==Works==