Commission of Triers


The Commission of Triers was a 38-member administrative commission established by Oliver Cromwell in 1654, during the early months of the Protectorate, to assess the suitability of future parish ministers. The triers, and a related set of "ejectors" were intended to be at the vanguard of Cromwell's reform of parish worship in England.
The commission was established by the Triers Ordinance. A further ordinance in August 1654 known as Gillespie's Charter extended the role of the triers to Scotland.