He was sixth son and ninth child of Sir Robert Honywood of
Charing,
Kent, and of
Marks Hall,
Essex, by his second wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Thomas Browne of
Betchworth Castle,
Surrey. He was educated at
Christ's College, Cambridge, and graduated BA in January 1615,
MA 1618, BD 1636, and DD (by royal mandate) 1661. Honywood became fellow of Christ's, where
Thomas Bainbrigg was master, and served the university offices of
taxor in 1623, and of
proctor in 1628.
Richard Crackenthorpe, a friend, records help received from Honywood in his work on logic. He took part in college management, and helped forward the erection of the new Fellows' Building, completed in 1644, by advancing money, which was not repaid till 27 August 1649. In 1640 Honywoood was appointed
rector of the college living of
St Andrew's Church,
Kegworth,
Leicestershire, but he did not reside there; and when the
First English Civil War threatened Cambridge at the beginning of 1642, he crossed to the Low Countries. During
the Protectorate he was at
Utrecht, enjoying the friendship of
William Sancroft and devoting himself to the collection of books. In 1643 Bainbrigg ineffectually wrote to Honywood urging him to return, so as not to exceed the statutable limit of absence, which would defeat his wish that Honywood should succeed him as master. In 1645 Honywood was still abroad. Over Bainbrigg's protests, the parliamentary commissioners for Leicestershire
sequestered Honywood's living of Kegworth, and a new rector was appointed in 1649. At the
Restoration Honywood returned to England, and resumed his living in Kegworth. The
sectaries in his parish gave him some trouble, and in 1667 Richard Gibson, a
Quaker who refused to pay his tithes, was thrown into prison, and was detained there for several years at Honywood's suit. Some of the fellows of Christ's College hoped that he might be appointed master, at a time when
Ralph Cudworth held the post. On 12 October 1660 Honywood was installed dean of Lincoln, retaining Kegworth
in commendam for the rest of his life. He set to work to repair the damage done to
Lincoln Cathedral and its precincts, and re-established the long-suspended choral service, finding money for both from his own purse. He defended the old rights of the dean and chapter and reasserted the franchises of the close. Honywood died unmarried at his deanery on 7 December 1681, aged 85. He gave £100 towards the rebuilding of
St Paul's Cathedral. Friends included
Herbert Thorndike,
Humphrey Henchman and
George Morley, and
Samuel Pepys, who called him "a simple priest, though a good well-meaning man" (
Diary, 6 August 1664). ==Lincoln Cathedral Library==