 He became a bishop at a period when Lord Palmerston, influenced by Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, was promoting Evangelicals.He translated to the see of Durham in 1861, where as Bishop of Durham he came into conflict with High Church clergy, for example suspending Francis Grey, rector of Morpeth, as Rural Dean, for wearing a stole of which he disapproved.He resigned due to ill health on 2 February 1879 and died in Wimbledon on 14 September, and was interred at Holy Innocents Church at High Beach, Essex.