[2] James became Dean of Durham in 1596, where he was a witness to the decay of agriculture in northeast England.

[2] In early 1611, James had custody of Arbella Stuart, with the intention of the King to take her north to Durham.

In the event, Arbella was moved from Lambeth to be confined at Barnet, while the bishop travelled north leaving Sir James Croft in charge, and for health reasons did not follow, being moved to East Barnet.

[5] When Arbella and her husband William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset, (who was in the Tower of London) made simultaneous but badly coordinated escapes on 3 June 1611, she simply walked free.

The board of trustees included nine landowners who had all donated land to create the (then) boys' school.