Humphreys was born in Ealing, Middlesex, the son of Travers Humphreys, a noted barrister and judge. His given name "Christmas" is unusual, but, along with "Travers", had a long history in … See more

In the early decades of the twentieth century, Humphreys had begun a broad reading in the available English-language literature on … See more

Humphreys was called to the bar by the Inner Temple in 1924. When first qualified, he tended to take criminal defence work, making use of his skills in cross-examination. In 1934, he was appointed Junior Treasury Counsel at the Central Criminal Court ("the … See more

Humphreys was a prolific author of books on the Buddhist tradition. He was also president of the Shakespeare Fellowship, a position to which he was elected in 1955. The Fellowship … See more

Humphreys died at his London home, 58 Marlborough Place, St John's Wood. See more

Humphreys was portrayed on screen by Geoffrey Chater in the 1971 film 10 Rillington Place, about the Evans–Christie murder case. Humphreys appears in the lyrics of Van Morrison's 1982 song Cleaning Windows, "I went home and read my Christmas … See more

As author
• An Invitation to the Buddhist Way of Life for Western Readers
• Both Sides of the Circle (1978) London: See more