Morley was born in Surrey, matriculated at Balliol aged 16 on 5 Mar. 1602, and graduated BA in 1605 and MA in 1611. In 1616 he had become rector of Stallbridge in Dorset .

Born in Connington, Huntingdonshire, he was educated at Westminster School and Jesus College, Cambridge. He moved to 'Cotton House', Westminster, which stood on the site of the present House of Lords, and began to amass the extraordinary collection of manuscripts for which he is now known; he also collected coins. Scholars (including Bacon, Camden, Speed, Ralegh, Selden, Ussher - and Jonson ) were freely given access to his library. He collaborated with Camden on some of his historical works, but published little independently, although he did write many papers for the Royal Society of Antiquaries. He was knighted in 1603, became MP for Huntingdon in 1604, and created a baronet in 1611. In 1615-16 he altered papers implicating his friend and patron the earl of Somerset in the Overbury scandal, and he was imprisoned in the Tower for several months. He became an MP again in 1624, 1625 and 1628-9, and quickly became known as a member of the Parliamentary party of Sir John Eliot, in which cause he published his tracts The History of Henry III (1627) and Dangers wherein the kingdom now standeth (1628). As a result of his political activism he was excluded from his own library by Charles I from 1629 until his death. The library was eventually gifted to the nation in 1702, and was transferred to the British Museum (now the British Library) in 1753, where its shelfmarks are still those of Cotton's original organisation into fourteen cases, each named for the Roman emperor whose bust decorated it.

Born in Norfolk, Spelman matriculated at Trinity, Cambridge in 1581, graduated BA in 1583 and was at Lincoln's Inn 1585-6. He was admitted as a member of the Society of Antiquaries in 1593, and was elected MP for Castle Rising, Norfolk in the same year (and again in 1597-8). He was knighted 14 Mar. 1604, and was high sheriff of Norfolk 1604-6. He wrote the description of Norfolk printed by Speed in c . 1610, and published extensive works of ecclesiastical and legal history, and on the Anglo-Saxon language. He lived near Cotton in Tuthill Street, Westminster, for about twenty years from 1612, and founded the short-lived readership in Anglo-Saxon at Cambridge in 1635. He was buried near Camden in Westminster Abbey on 14 Oct. 1641.

Ryves was admitted to Winchester School in 1590, elected a fellow of New College in 1598 and graduated BCL in 1605 and DCL 21 June 1610. He also studied in France . Having been admitted as an advocate to Doctors' Commons in 1611, in 1612 he went to Ireland , where he held several positions. He returned to England and the Admiralty Court in 1621. He was appointed King's Advocate in 1623 and a master of requests extraordinary in 1626; in 1636 he was made judge of the admiralty of Dover and of the Cinque Ports. He was wounded fighting for the king , and was knighted by him on 19 Mar. 1644; in Sept. 1648 he negotiated with parliament on behalf of the king . He died 2 Jan. 1652 and is buried in St Clement Danes.

Duck graduated BA (Oxon.) 1599, MA 1602, was elected fellow of All Souls 1604, and graduated LLB 1607, LLD 1612. In 1614 he was admitted as an Advocate at Doctors' Commons. Laud appointed him chancellor of the diocese of London upon his own translation from Bath and Wells in 1628. He was appointed to the ecclesiastical commission in 1633, and as a master in Chancery in 1645. Charles I asked for his help in negotiations with the parliamentary side while he was held prisoner in the Isle of Wight in 1648.

Baskerville was awarded his MB (Oxon.) in 1611, and later his MD. He was admitted to the College of Physicians in 1614, and was anatomy reader in 1626. He was appointed physician to both James I and Charles I, and was knighted by the latter in 1636. He is buried in St Paul's.

Andrews graduated DMed. in 1608, and became a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in 1610.

Selden had been a friend of Jonson , Camden, and Cotton since about 1605; he contributed a commendatory verse to Volp . in 1607. He published extensively on the law and other matters, and was prominent in parliamentary affairs throughout the 1620s.

Bust was born at Eton, where his father Matthew had been a scholar, fellow, and vice-provost. He matriculated at King's College, Cambridge as a scholar in 1583, graduated BA in 1598 and MA in 1601. He was a fellow from 1596-1612. He was Head Master of Eton from 1611-1630, and precentor of Hereford cathedral from 1629-38.

Farnaby ran a successful school in Cripplegate, and was regarded as the foremost teacher and classical scholar of his time. He edited Juvenal, Persius, Seneca, Martial, Lucan, Ovid, Virgil, and Terence, and was commissioned by Charles I to prepare a new Latin grammar for use in schools, which was completed in 1641. Jonson wrote commendatory verses to his edition of Juvenal and Persius.