Humphrey was born on 28th July 1874 at Ann Street, Greenock. His parents were Duncan and Agnes McFarlane m/s Pattison.

Humphrey cannot be found on the 1881, 1901 or 1911 census. On the 1891 census, he was living at George Street, Kirn, Dunoon. Duncan was working as an engineer and Humphrey, age 16, was a railway clerk. There were 3 other children in the family.

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He married Mary Donaldson on 28 June 1904 at 7 Ardgowan Square, Greenock. They were married by John Campbell, Minister of the Gaelic United Free Church. The address at the time of his marriage was 63 Rue End Street, Greenock. Mary's was 65 Rue End Street - she was the girl next door! They had at least two daughters; Margaret, born on 8th June 1905 at 65 Rue End Street, Greenock and Agnes Pattison McFarlane born on 22nd July 1911, also at Rue End Street.

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On the 1911 census, Mary was living at 65 Rue End Street as head of the household with her daughter Margaret her mother, stepfather, two brothers and a stepbrother.

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Margaret married Thomas Scott Soutar in 1934 in Greenock. She died in Greenock in 1993. Agnes married John William Inglis, a farm manager at 48 Brisbane Street, Greenock in 1936. She died in Andover, Hampshire in 1999.

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Humphrey was serving in the Merchant Navy as a Second Engineer on the hospital ship Glenart Castle when it was sunk by a German torpedo just outside Newport, South Wales. He was lost at sea along with 150 others. 

He is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial in London and also on the Inverkip War Memorial but the Inverkip connection is not known. There is also a memorial to the Glenart Castle near Hartland Point in Devon.

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