The Origin of the Oxford Blue
The Oxford Blue pub in Old Windsor was opened in 1829 by Waterloo veteran Tom Evans of The Royal Horse Guards (The Blues) also known as the Oxford Blues…. Tom was 19 when he enlisted to the regiment which at that time was based in Northampton. The Blues then moved to Windsor where Tom met Jane Broughton who later became his wife.
1812
Tom went to Portugal to serve under The Duke of Wellington, during the campaign he took part in the crossing of the Douro 1813 and the battle of the Vittoria.
1814
At the conclusion of the Peninsular war, Tom returned to Windsor, where Jane commented on how much weight he had gained- Tom was over 6ft and was well built!
1815
The colonel was Sir Robert Chambre Hill and he didn’t include Tom on his list when they were called to Belgium as he was frankly too fat! He went to see his Colonel and faced across him at his table looking very angry and disgruntled. Sir Robert Hill relented and added Tom to the list which was a good move! During battle Sir Robert found himself wounded, cut off from his regiment and surrounded by five French Cuirassiers. Tom Evans had noticed he was in trouble and barged and fought his way through the chaos of the battle to help his troubled commanding officer. Four of the Cuirassiers fell to Tom’s sword which splintered during the engagement, he then used the hilt to pummel the fifth Cuirassier. Two years later Tom married Jane Broughton in Winkfield church.
1829
Tom retired and bought The Oxford Blue what were 2 gamekeepers’ cottages. He decided to call it The Oxford Blue after the regiment. The regiment were originally known as ‘The Blues’ but 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 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.