Soon after the accession of Anglican Tudor Queen Elizabeth I, the bishops of England were forced to choose between taking the Oath of Supremacy, thus denying the authority of the Pope, and losing their episcopal sees.
Those who chose to continue their allegiance to Rome were subsequently deposed and replaced in their sees by priests of the Church of England.
Most of the deposed Bishops were imprisoned in various locations and died in captivity over a period of years, though some left the country and continued their work overseas.
He died shortly afterwards and was succeeded by Dr Richard Smith, who in August 1631 was forced to resign and fled to France.
The Midland District consisted of the historic counties of Cambridgeshire (with the Isle of Ely), Derbyshire, Huntingdonshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Rutland, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire.