Confessor to Queen Catherine of Aragon, Forest was burned to death at Smithfield for "heresy", in that he refused to acknowledge the King as head of the church.

He went on to study theology at the University of Oxford, later becoming provincial of all the Observant Friars in England, and confessor to Queen Catherine of Aragon, first wife to King Henry VIII.

Despite initially recanting, Forest was detained at Newgate Prison, on the basis of denial of the king's supremacy, together with several other Friars, who persuaded him to stand fast in his Roman Catholic beliefs.

[4] Archbishop Thomas Cranmer and Hugh Latimer acted as a team on Cromwell's behalf in the proceedings which led to the friar's destruction.

[7] In accordance with the custom of the time, Bishop Latimer was selected to preach a final sermon at the place of execution urging recantation.

[4] Extra fuel for the pyre is said to have been provided by an enormous statue of St. Derfel from the pilgrimage site of Llandderfel in north Wales, and of which it was prophesied, would "one day set a forest on fire.