The Oxford Blue in Old Windsor

A tribute to an old soldier and his regiment.
The 'Oxford Blue'

The Oxford Blue is a family run establishment offering a warm and friendly welcome. It has a new kids play area in the garden.
Facilities include free wifi Internet, award winning chef, Sunday Carvery and function room available.

The Oxford Blue is situated on the borders of Berkshire and Surrey, with magnificent views over the open countryside, and close to the centre of Windsor and Runnymede Easy access to the M25 and M4 (only five minutes away) very easy to find being only five minutes drive from Junction 13 of the M25, close to Staines, Windsor, and Heathrow Airport. Extensive car parking is available.

The Oxford Blue pub in Old Windsor Opened in 1829 by Waterloo veteran Tom Evans of The Royal Horse Guards (The Blues) also known as the Oxford Blues, hence the name of the pub.In the Eighteenth Century ‘Woodside’ was one of the large estates in Old Windsor village, and among the property were two Gamekeepers cottages on Crimp Hill.

In 1800 when Tom was just 19 years old The Royal Regiment of Horse Guards (The Blues) now The Blues and Royals were stationed in Northampton Tom enlisted from his shoemakers bench to the regiment.

The Blues moved to Windsor, and exercised at Winkfield where Tom met Jane Broughton who was later to become his wife.

In 1812 Tom went with the Blues to Portugal to serve under Arthur Wellesley the Duke of Wellington .

During this campaign he was to take part in the crossing of the Douro in 1813 and in the Battle of Vittoria later that year.

At the conclusion of the Peninsular War in 1814 Tom returned to Windsor, where Jane commented on how much weight he had put on – Tom was over 6ft tall and well built with it!

1815 The Colonel of the Blues at the time was Sir Robert Chambre Hill, and when the the regiment was called to go to Belgium, Tom’s name was not on the regimental roll he was frankly too fat.
Tom had become a dangerous animal - a trooper with a grievance, orderly hour at Cavalry Barracks Windsor was always held at 2pm a good comfortable hour, when the commanding officer is consoled with a good lunch and a glass of port.
Colonel Hill was faced across his office table by a very disgruntled and angry trooper Evans, Sir Robert Hill relented and added Tom on the regimental list - which was very lucky for Sir Robert.

During the Battle of Waterloo Sir Robert was wounded and found himself cut off from his regiment and surrounded by five French Cuirassiers.

A lone trooper fought and barged his way through the fighting to help.

This lone trooper was Tom Evans who had noticed that his Colonel was in trouble.
Tom barged and fought his way through the chaos of the battle to help his troubled commanding officer, four of the Cuirassiers who surrounded Sir Robert fell to Tom's sword which splintered during the engagement he then used the hilt to pummel the fifth Cuirassier.

1816 in Windsor Cavalry barracks (Now Combermere Barracks) the regiment was paraded colonel Hill acknowledged his debt to the old soldier Tom for his valor.

1817 Tom married Jane Broughton in Winkfield church he left the Blues in 1820 and served as a Drill instructor in the Carmarthen and Pembrokeshire Yeomanry.
In 1829 Tom retired from the army and wandered back to Windsor where he then opened the ‘Oxford Blue’.

The name Oxford Blue was derived from The Royal Regiment of Horse Guards (the Blues) or Oxford Blues. The regiment was raised on 16th February 1661 following the restoration of the monarchy. Styled the Royal Regiment of Horse: The first colonel of the regiment was the 20th and last Earl of Oxford Aubrey De Vere, he was able to muster the regiment to full strength in a matter of weeks by re-embodying the Parliamentarian cavalry regiment which had been recently disbanded at Bath in December 1660 initially raised on Cromwell’s order by Sir Arthur Hesselrigge at Newcastle in August 1650. From the colour blue of their coats arose the regiments nickname ‘The Blues’.
When William of Orange came to the throne in 1689, he brought his Dutch Horse Guards with him from Holland. They also wore blue coats, and this led to the English regiment of Horse Guards becoming known as the ‘Oxford Blues’ in order to distinguish the two.
The Royal Regiment of Horse was considered to be the 1st Regiment of Horse, but in 1746 it was treated as a special Regiment and did not achieve the full status and privileges of Household Cavalry until 1820.
In 1750, the regiment was titled, ‘The Royal Horse Guards (Blue)’ In 1819, their title was yet again changed to ‘The Royal Horse Guards (The Blues)’.

The two gamekeeper’s cottages on Crimp Hill were converted into an Inn (The Oxford Blue).
The license for the pub was transferred from an older pub in the village ‘The Ramping Cat’.

Tom remained in Old Windsor until his death in 1859 at the age of 78.
He is buried in Old Windsor Churchyard.
Tom left behind his widow, three sons and a daughter.

Tom Evans in middle age

Aubrey De Vere 20th and last Earl of Oxford
first Colonel of the Blues 1661

More information about The Oxford Blue Click Here!

More information about The Household Cavalry Click Here!

A History of Windsor pubs Click Here!

THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION

Thursday 8 November 2012