Humphrey Sydenham (1591–1650)

In the meantime he had been appointed chaplain to Lord Howard of Escrick, and on 15 December 1627 he was presented by the king to the vicarage of Ashbrittle, Somerset, holding that preferment down to 1645.

Consummata eloquentia celeberrimus ("most famous in consummate eloquence"), he is described by Lloyd as "happy in having the tongue of men and angels" (Memoirs, p. 625).

"A person of a quaint and curious style, better at practical than at school divinity", he was so eloquent and fluent a preacher that he was "commonly called Silver Tongue Sydenham" (Wood).

When his elder brother, John Sydenham of Combe, died without male children, Humphrey inherited the paternal estates.

[2] John Sydenham had married Margery Poulet, daughter of Sir Anthony Poulett (1562–1600) (alias Paulet), of Hinton St George, Somerset, Governor of Jersey, and Captain of the Guard to Queen Elizabeth.

He married Mary Cox, daughter of William Cox of Crookhern, Somerset, by whom he had children including Humphrey Sydenham, of Combe, who married Jane Pole, the second daughter and eventual co-heiress of Sir William Pole, Knight (1614–1649), eldest son and heir apparent of Sir John Pole, 1st Baronet (died 1658) of Shute, Devon, by his second wife Katherine St Barbe, only daughter of Henry St Barbe of Broadlands, Hampshire.