Editing John Popham (judge) (section)

==Origins==
[[File:PophamImpalingStradling 1588Monument ColytonChurch Devon.PNG|thumb|Escutcheon in the Pole Chapel of [[Colyton, Devon|Colyton]] Church, Devon, showing arms of Popham impaling Stradling (''Paly of six argent and azure, on a bend gules three mullets or''), representing the marriage of Sir John Popham's parents]]

Popham was born in 1531 at [[Huntworth]] in the parish of [[North Petherton]], near [[Bridgwater]], in [[Somerset]], the second son of Alexander Popham (c. 1504 – 1556) of Huntworth, twice MP for [[Bridgwater (UK Parliament constituency)|Bridgwater]] in 1545 and 1547, by his wife Jane Stradling, a daughter of Sir Edward Stradling (died 1535) of [[St Donat's Castle]], Glamorgan;<ref>Skinner, A. J. P., Armory on Pole Monument in Colyton Church, published in Devon Notes & Queries, Vol. 9, Jan. 1916 – Oct. 1917.</ref> one of Jane's brothers is [[Thomas Stradling (MP)|Thomas Stradling]]. St Donat's Castle situated on the south coast of Glamorgan was a short sail across the [[Bristol Channel]] into the inland port of Bridgwater on the [[River Parret]]. The Popham family had held the [[Manorialism|manor]] of Huntworth since the 13th century when Sir Hugh de Popham ([[tempore]] [[Edward I]]) (a younger son of the Popham family of the manor of [[Popham, Hampshire]]) married Joan de Kentisbury, daughter and heiress of Sir Stephen de Kentisbury of Huntworth.<ref>Burke's, 1837.</ref> His nephews included [[George Popham]], founder of [[Popham Colony]] (of which Sir John was one of the principal financial backers) and Sir [[William Pole (antiquary)|William Pole]] (1561–1635), the historian of Devon.