"True Blue and all of you"

[oggbashan]

This has been annoying me.

Who said "True Blue and all of you" as the response to a toast, probably 19th century in England at a meeting of the Conservative party?

I have tried google without success.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Frances Crewe, Lady Crewe. Wiki says May 1784, in response to a toast by the Prince of Wales. Looks like it was a Whig event (celebrating the election of Fox) rather than Tory.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Crewe,_Lady_Crewe

 

[ishtat]

Og I have been told that it was first said by Lord George Bentinck (1802-1848) who was the old 'high Tory' who opposed Peel's repeal of the corn laws in 1846 but I have never seen any evidence to support the contention.

Hogarth painted a picture of a hustings around about 1740/1750 which showed a blue flag for the Tories.

When English Heritage started to recommend that various buildings under their control should be painted in their original colours, a good friend helpfully wrote to them pointing out that the original heritage colour of the door at 10 Downing street was blue not black. Apparently, reliably black glossy paint was not available until the mid 19th century and the more original colour was a greyish blue.

E.H. responded that while he was correct they would not be following his recommendation. The Blair (redish) government had recently been installed.

 

[oggbashan]

Frances Crewe, Lady Crewe. Wiki says May 1784, in response to a toast by the Prince of Wales. Looks like it was a Whig event (celebrating the election of Fox) rather than Tory.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Crewe,_Lady_Crewe

Thank you, Bramblethorn.

I had the impression that it was a Lady Carew, not Crewe, but the only one I could find was Elizabethan.

True Blue has had a mixed meaning - originally referring to a fast blue dye made in Coventry, then Whig, then Tory and in Australia meaning 'fair dinkum' or a supporter of the Australian Labor Party.

I like the anecdote about Fox when asked by Lord Sandwich whether he would die by the hangman or the pox replied:

"That depends, My Lord, whether I embrace your principles or your mistress."

That has been attributed to others as well.

 

[jehoram]

True Blue has had a mixed meaning - originally referring to a fast blue dye made in Coventry, then Whig, then Tory and in Australia meaning 'fair dinkum' or a supporter of the Australian Labor Party.

In the US, it's generally taken to mean "of unquestioned loyalty" to anything ... a political party, a sports team, whatever.

 

[KeithD]

Never heard it before and I've done a lot of toasting in my life.

 

[oggbashan]

Never heard it before and I've done a lot of toasting in my life.

I had, but I couldn't find it.