The parliamentary visitation of the University of Oxford was a political and religious purge taking place from 1647, for a number of years.
[2] The initial step was the appointment of seven preachers of Presbyterian views, to bring in the use of the Directory for Public Worship.
[5] The outbreak of the Second English Civil War in early 1648 prompted a much more effective approach from the visitors, who at first were quite successfully obstructed, and it was from April that the purge really began.
[7][12] Staff on the ground in Oxford included Ralph Austen, who became registrar, and Elisha Coles who acted for him, both Calvinist writers.
[15] The visitation had the power to order "intrusions": the Oxford colleges were self-governing institutions under a Master (i.e. "head of house", going under various other titles) and fellows, but the normal procedures for election were bypassed, if necessary, to impose appointments.
It was replaced by a commission of five: John Wilkins, who had married Robina Cromwell, sister of Oliver Cromwell,[53] Jonathan Goddard (Magdalen), and Thomas Goodwin (Merton) from among the heads of houses, with Peter French of Christ Church and John Owen who had become vice-chancellor.