Editing Cullompton (section)

===English Civil War to the eighteenth century===
In August 1642, during the [[English Civil War]] Mr Ashford and [[Manor of Molland#Richard I Culme (1569–1649)|Richard Culme]] – then [[Sheriff of Devon]] attempted to have their [[Commission of array#Civil War revival commission|commission]] read in Cullompton, but were opposed by the local [[parish constable]], Walter Challs, and by the people of the town. As well as raising troops for the Royalists, the commission would also have halted a scheduled muster of the local militia. Despite the support of local landowners such as [[Sir John Acland, 1st Baronet|John Acland]], who was another of the Commissioners of the Array, this strong local opposition meant that Culme and Ashford failed. Later, the Royalist [[John Granville, 1st Earl of Bath|Earl of Bath]] came with cavaliers to try and support Ashford, but the locals responded by throwing up chains and preparing their militia.<ref>{{cite book|last=Andriette|first=Eugene A| title=Devon and Exeter in the Civil War| publisher= David and Charles|place= Newton Abbot|date= 1971| page = 61|isbn=0-7153-5256-3}}</ref>

Troops passed through Cullompton on several occasions during the civil war: [[Sir Ralph Hopton]] rode with a small troop through the town on his way to Cornwall; Cornish Royalist forces marched through Cullompton on their way to join [[Prince Maurice]] at Chard as did the [[Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex|Earl of Essex]] and [[Thomas Fairfax]]. There were troops on the streets of Cullompton again in 1655 during the [[Penruddock uprising]].<ref>{{cite book | last = Stanes | first = Robin  | title = A History of Devon | publisher = Phillimore and Co. | edition = 1st |series = The Darwen County History Series | date = 1986  | location = Shopwyke Hall, Chichester, Sussex | pages = 85–91 | isbn = 0-85033-528-0}}</ref>

In 1678 a local [[innkeeper]], John Barnes was [[Hanging|hanged]] after being found guilty of [[Highwayman|highway robbery]]. He had waylaid, with the help of accomplices, a coach travelling from Exeter to London and made off with about £600 but he was recognised by the guards from Exeter, where he had been a taverner.<ref name="BoC 2001 148">The Book of Cullompton, 2001, p. 148</ref><ref>{{cite book|last= Baring-Gould| first=Sabine| author-link = Sabine Baring-Gould| title=Devonshire characters and strange events|pages=320–324 | year= 1908 |publisher=J. Lane|url= https://archive.org/stream/devonshirechara00barigoog#page/n381/mode/2up |access-date= 15 November 2015}}</ref>

Another local man called Tom Austin was hanged in August 1694. He inherited a farm with an annual income of £80 and then married the daughter of a neighbouring farmer with a [[dowry]] of £800. He lived an extravagant lifestyle and spent all of his money. His farm, having been neglected could not provide sufficient income for him and he borrowed a lot of money from neighbours and friends. He then turned to highway robbery and was moderately successful for a time. He shot Sir Zachary Wilmott during a robbery on the road between [[Wellington, Somerset|Wellington]] and [[Taunton]]. The proceeds from his crimes supported him for a time but in the long term he was unable to clear his debts. In 1694, following a row with his wife, he went to visit his uncle. His uncle was not at home and he killed his aunt and her five children and took around £60 from the house. On returning home he was asked about the bloodstains on his clothes by his wife. He then killed her and his two children. His uncle, who dropped in to visit him on his way home, knocked Austin unconscious and he was arrested and later hanged at Exeter Jail.<ref>{{cite book|last=Harrison| first=Paul| title=Devon Murders|pages=58–65 | year=1992|publisher=Countryside Books|isbn=1-85306-210-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title=Tom Austin| work=The Newgate Calendar| url=http://www.exclassics.com/newgate/ng71.htm| access-date=21 November 2012| archive-date=19 May 2011| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519113117/http://exclassics.com/newgate/ng71.htm| url-status=live}}</ref>

The Cullompton [[Company (military unit)|Company]] of Volunteers (a voluntary body of soldiers) was first raised in 1794 and continued until 1810. The volunteer companies were formed following Britain's entry into the [[French Revolutionary Wars]] and continued to exist during the [[Napoleonic Wars]]. Cullompton was the first inland town to offer to raise a volunteer company (on 16 May 1794) and on 24 June the volunteers were accepted. The first commander, Captain Jarmin, was a former [[Royal Marines|Marine]] officer. The company was formed into a [[battalion]] with 11 other volunteer companies called the Hayridge (later Highbridge) regiment. It had 1,200 men and three companies were based in Cullompton with a barracks in New Cut. Jarmin died in 1794 and was succeeded by Henry Skinner Esq. In 1801 the company became a cavalry troop and was then disbanded only to be reformed in 1805 when hostilities with France resumed. Many Cullompton men fought in the [[Peninsular War]] and at the [[Battle of Waterloo]].<ref>{{Citation | last = Grubb  | first = Geoffrey W | chapter = The Cullompton Volunteers | pages = 12–13 |year =1986| editor-last = Pugsley| editor-first = David | title = Old Cullompton | publisher = Maslands}}</ref>

[[File:John Wesley preaching outside a church. Engraving. Wellcome V0006868.jpg|thumb|John Wesley preached in Cullompton on several occasions.]]
The first Nonconformist congregation began in 1662 when the vicar of Cullompton, Revd William Crompton, was ejected from the established church. He continued to preach and a Protestant [[English Dissenters|Dissenters]] meeting house was built in 1698 which became the Unitarian Chapel. In the eighteenth century there was a prevalence of Dissent with the local vicar recording in 1736 that of a population of 3358 there were 508 [[Presbyterians]], 133 [[Anabaptist]]s and 87 [[Quakers]]. By 1743 the first Baptist Chapel had been built. [[John Wesley]]'s journal records preaching near the town in 1748<ref>The Book of Cullompton, 2001, p.&nbsp;55–8</ref> and on numerous occasions until 1789.