They were periodically embodied for home defence and internal security, including the Spanish Armada campaign in 1588, and saw active service during the First English Civil War.

[5][6][7][8][9] The 2nd Earl of Bedford was appointed lieutenant for the counties of Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Exeter, and issued detailed orders for the organisation of the militia on 18 April 1558.

[12][13][14][15] By 1577 the Devon Trained Bands were divided into three 'Divisions', each with two Colonels and six captains:[16] By now the weapons consisted of 647 calivers (firearms), 651 longbows, 830 pikes and 1160 'black bills' and halberds, with 841 corslets (pikemen's armour) and 637 Morion helmets.

[21][22] In 1633 the Devon TBs under the 4th Earl of Bedford as Lord Lieutenant were organised as:[23][24] In addition there were also the Exeter Trained Band and four independent companies of 'tinners' from the Stannary towns of Chagford, Ashburton, Tavistock and Plympton.

[28] Although every English county was ordered in late 1638 to muster its TBs and keep them in readiness, the men of the West Country were kept in reserve and were not involved in the First Bishops' War of 1639.

However, Charles planned a larger invasion force for the Second Bishops' War in 1640, and every county was given a quota of troops to provide from its TBs: Devon was ordered to March 2000 men to Newcastle upon Tyne.

Officers from the Pollard family extracted such large bribes from Degory Doole of North Petherwin and Thomas Jeffrey of Monkokehampton to avoid service that they were prosecuted for extortion in the Star Chamber.

Three weeks later, at Wellington, Somerset, a group of North Devon conscripts dragged Lieutenant Compton Evers from his lodgings and beat and stabbed him to death for being a Papist.

This time the government acted vigorously: although the Somerset authorities were supine (the people of Wellington were fined for not doing anything to prevent the murder), the deputy lieutenants of Devon succeeded in capturing 140 of the 160 deserters when they reached home.

[32] An attempt by the Royalists to call out the posse comitatus of Devonshire in 1642 was a failure (compared with their success in raising the Trained Bands in neighbouring Cornwall) and it was quickly dispersed by Parliamentarian forces.

The South Hams and North East Devon regiments were still commanded by Col Henry Champernowne of Modbury[25] and Sir John Bampfylde.

Rosewell's and possibly Northcote's regiments were at the indecisive Siege of Sherborne Castle in September 1642,[36][37] after which the Royalist commander, the Marquess of Hertford, withdrew with his infantry and artillery into South Wales where he had greater support.

Sir Ralph Hopton led the Royalist cavalry west into Cornwall, which was firmly held for the King by the Cornish TBs.

[39][40] Both counties' trained bands were reluctant to cross the River Tamar that forms the border between them, but Hopton was able to recruit a brigade of excellent infantry from the ranks of the Cornish TBs.

But when Berkeley attempted to do the same at Okehampton on 8 February 1643 the Parliamentary troops initially dispersed, then rallied at Chagford, where they caused casualties to the Royalists in a confused skirmish.

The Royalists lost 100 dead, 150 prisoners and 5 guns at the Second Battle of Modbury, and retreated from this, abandoned their blockade of Plymouth, and agreeing a local truce they retired into Cornwall.

[27][36][25][26][37][42][46][47][48] On the expiry of the truce, Stamford sent Chudleigh with a force including elements at least of Rolle's, Rosewell's and Bampfylde's Devon TB regiments across the Tamar at Polson Bridge to attack Launceston on 23 April.

By the end of the day Hopton had a superior force and began a counter-attack, but Chudleigh got his shaken men back over the river, covered by the steadiness of the party at the bridge.

Stamford then collected as many troops as he could (including Rolle's, Rosewell's and Bampfylde's Devon TB regiments) to invade Cornwall and prevent Hopton joining this concentration.

In August the Parliamentary commanders decided to relieve Exeter by land, using forces drawn from the garrisons of Plymouth, Barnstaple and Bideford.

The prewar Plymouth Town TB regiment, whose normal role was to provide part-time unpaid night sentries, formed part of the garrison.

Essex then pushed further into the West Country, reaching Tavistock on 23 July, upon which Sir Richard Grenville raised the siege of Plymouth and retired over the Tamar.

Luttrell had been commissioned colonel on 2 June 1644 to raise new Parliamentary regiments of horse and foot for the operation to recapture Barnstaple, but may have simply taken over Rolle's men.

[67] The New Model Army finally relieved Plymouth for the last time in January 1646 as the war drew to an end and it completed the conquest of the West Country.