In 1630, through the influence of William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury, a canonry of Christ Church was perpetually annexed to the professorship.
Incomplete list: Godfrey Rolles Driver twice served as acting professor during vacancies, in 1934–1935 and 1959–1960.
However, he was not eligible to hold the chair outright, as he was a layman and the chair was attached to an Anglican canonry of Christ Church, requiring the holder to be in holy orders.
[13] The university statutes were changed in 1960 to allow William McHardy, a Church of Scotland layman, to be appointed.
[17] The term of Jan Joosten was ended on 3 July 2020 in the wake of criminal charges for possessing images of child sexual abuse.