John Humfry had been instituted as Vicar of St John the Baptist, Froome-Selwood, in the year 1649.
Born at St Albans, Herts in 1621, he was educated at Oxford, a graduate of Pembroke College (M.A. 1647). He was ordained by the Presbytery in 1649 and re-ordained later by a bishop.
According to the Parish Officers of St John the Baptist, Frome, he was replaced in 1660 by Dr Joseph Glanville. However, Congregationalism in England, 1662-1962, by Tudor, records that he was one of the 2000 deprived of their living by the grand ejectment of 1662.
Joseph James also records in his “A Short History of Rook Lane” that he “was ejected from the Parish Church of Frome by the Act of Uniformity 1662”.
On his ejectment, until the passing of the “Conventicle Act” in 1664, he and the other members of the congregation worshipped in a room in the neighbourhood of what we refer to as the old Chapel. When the Five Mile Act of 1665 came into force he was compelled to leave Frome. He settled in London and formed Duke’s Place (afterwards Petticoat Lane) Congregational Church. He continued his ministerial duties into his 99th year, falling asleep in 1719 and surviving all the other ejected ministers.
The Act which drove Humfry from Frome brought to the church Rev Richard Alleine M.A. (1611-1681). Alleine was born at Ditcheat, Somerset and like his predecessor, was educated at Oxford (St Alban’s Hall and New Inn Hall.) He was Rector of Batcombe, Somerset from 1641 to 1661. On coming to Frome he was received by Mr Robert Smith, who set apart a room for religious services.