 After his ejectment, he brought his former parishioners into congregations at convenient centres, and acted as their minister, with the assistance of Oddy and S. Corbyn, both ejected fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge, who were appointed at a general meeting at Eversden.In 1663 Holcroft was imprisoned in Cambridge gaol, by order of Sir Thomas Chickley, for illegal preaching, but he was occasionally allowed by the warder to visit his congregations.At the assizes he was sentenced to abjure the realm, but on Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Anglesey representing his case to Charles II he was allowed to remain in gaol.