Background
He was a younger son of Humphrey IV Sydenham (1672-1710) of Combe, Dulverton in Somerset, by his second wife and first cousin Katherine Floyer, daughter of William Floyer of Berne in Dorset, descended from the ancient family of Floyer of Floyer Hayes near Exeter. Humphrey IV Sydenham and his wife Katherine Floyer were both grandchildren of Sir William Pole (1614-1649), Knight, eldest son of Sir John Pole, 1st Baronet (d1658) of Shute in Devon.
Career
On 31 May 1727 at the aged of 16 he matriculated at Wadham College, Oxford. Humphry II Sydenham was the first to graduate as Master of Arts from that foundation on 3 December 1613. Floyer Sydenham gained Bachelor at Wadham College in 1731 and Master of Arts in 1734.
In 1735 he was a barrister-at-law in Lincoln"s Inn.
He was a Fellow and sometime Moderator of Philosophy at Wadham College, and was later Rector of Esher until 1744. He was imprisoned for a trifling debt, and died in prison on 1 April 1787.
His sad fate is said to have led to the foundation of the Royal Literary Fund, due to "the sympathy aroused for poor authors by his death".