reduced these six areas to four. In the summer of 1687 he toured the North of England and confirmed over 20,000 Catholics there. Apostolic Vicariate of the London District On 30 January 1688, the number of bishops in England and Wales was increased by the Pope to four vicars apostolic, as a result of which the single apostolic vicariate was divided into the London District, the Midland District, the Northern District and the Western District. The first vicar apostolic of the London District was Bishop John Leyburn, who had previously since 24 August 1685 served as Vicar Apostolic of England. In 1688, the Apostolic Vicariate of London also became responsible for Catholics in the British colonies of the New World. This ended in Newfoundland on 30 May 1784 with the creation of the Apostolic Prefecture of Newfoundland, and in the United States on 26 November 1784 with the creation of the Apostolic Prefecture of the United States. Although the vicariates as a whole were later more finely divided over the years, and notwithstanding intermittent persecution, an Apostolic Vicariate of the London District continued in existence until on 29 September 1850 when Pope Pius IX issued the bull Universalis Ecclesiae, by which thirteen new dioceses were created, among them the metropolitan Diocese of Westminster, a new jurisdiction which formally replaced part of the previous vicariate. At the same time, the remainder of the London District became the suffragan Diocese of Southwark. The last Apostolic Vicar of the London District was Bishop Nicholas Wiseman (d. 1865), who on 29 September 1850 was assigned the title of Metropolitan Archbishop of Westminster. The following day he was created a cardinal. The district ceased to be missionary territory and exempt, its prelate becoming the head of the new English ecclesiastical province. List of Apostolic Vicars of the London District See also Religion in the United Kingdom Roman Catholicism in England and Wales Roman Catholicism in the United Kingdom Lists of office-holders Apostolic Prefecture of the United States Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore (United States) References Bibliography External links GigaCatholic (Westminster archdiocese) with incumbent biography links History of Catholicism in England London London London Catholic Church in London Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark