J. Horace Round

John Horace Round (1854–1928) was an historian and genealogist of the English mediaeval period. He translated the portion of the Domesday Book (1086) covering Essex into contemporary English. As an expert in the history of the British peerage, he was appointed honorary historical adviser to the Crown.

Round was born on 22 February 1854 in Hove, Sussex. His parents were John Round (died 1887), a barrister, of West Bergholt, Essex, and Laura, the daughter of the poet Horatio Smith (died 1864). His family history appears in Burke's Landed Gentry, a publication he regularly criticised for its inaccuracies, although there is no reason to doubt the accuracy of the entry for his family. His birthplace, 15 Brunswick Terrace, is marked with a blue plaque.

Following his childhood education, he went up to Balliol College, Oxford in 1874, where he read for a degree in Modern History. In the final examinations in 1879, he obtained a bachelor of arts with first class honours; he qualified for an M.A. in 1881.

Though a native of Sussex, he had many interests in Essex, and was both deputy lieutenant and lord of the manor of Bergholt Hall, West Bergholt in that county. A relative owned Colchester Castle, and his grandfather John had been a member of parliament in Essex. He never married.

Round was a cousin to the Round family of Birch Hall, Essex, members of which included Charles Gray Round, James Round, and Charles Round.

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