David Carruthers (1816-1851) was the son of James Carruthers, armiger, of Kilmarnock. He studied at Glasgow University, matriculating in 1837, and then spent one year at St Mary's College, St Andrews from 1844-1845. He taught at Madras College, St Andrews and in 1846 was appointed minister of Kemback in Fife.
Professor George Buist (1779-1860), studied at the United College from 1794 to 1797, and was later awarded a DD in 1814. He also studied at Edinburgh University. He was licenced by Cupar presbytery in 1801, and became minister of Falkland the next year. In 1813 he was translated to St Andrews 2nd charge. He retained this charge when he took up a post at St Andrews as professor of Hebrew and Oriental languages in 1817; in 1823 he was appointed as professor of ecclesiastical history. He held this post until his death in 1860.
Professor Thomas Thomson Jackson (1798-1878) studied arts and divinity at Edinburgh University but was never a parish minister. He acted as amenuensis to Dugald Stewart. He was professor of biblical criticism at St Andrews University from 1836 to 1851, when he resigned to take up the post of professor of ecclesiastical history at Glasgow University. He retired in 1874.