Charles Gray Round
A pillar of Essex society who wielded influence not just in Parliament but from the magistrate's bench and his own vast estates.
1797–1867 (age 70)·British politician·Birthday: January 28
Biography
Charles Gray Round embodied the 19th-century English country gentleman in power. The son of a barrister and heir to considerable estates, his career was a multifaceted exercise in local and national authority. Elected as Conservative MP for North Essex, he served a decade in the Commons, a reliable vote for Peel's government. But Westminster was only one arena. His deeper impact was in Essex itself. As Recorder of Colchester, he presided over the borough's court, dispensing justice. As a magistrate and Deputy Lieutenant, he was a central figure in county administration and loyalty. His influence was rooted in land; as a substantial local owner, his economic power shaped the lives of tenants and the local landscape. Round's story is less about flashy political debate and more about the steady, layered governance of Victorian England, where law, politics, and property were inextricably linked in the hands of a single, formidable individual.
#1 When Charles Was Born
The biggest hits of 1797
Charles's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1797Born
1802Started school
1810Became a teenager
1813Could drive
1815Could vote
1818Turned 21
1827Turned 30
1837Turned 40
1847Turned 50
1857Turned 60
1867Turned 70
President: Andrew Johnson
Key Achievements
- Served as the Conservative Member of Parliament for North Essex for a full decade from 1837 to 1847.
- Held the influential legal position of Recorder of Colchester for over twenty years.
- Appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant for Essex, a key role in county leadership and militia affairs.
- Was a major landowner in the Essex area, with his estate at Birch Hall near Colchester.
Did You Know?
He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, and later called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn.
Round was a staunch supporter of Sir Robert Peel and followed him in supporting the repeal of the Corn Laws.
He declined the offer of a knighthood on at least one occasion.
His father, also named Charles Round, was a noted barrister and anti-slavery campaigner.
“The stability of the nation rests upon the integrity of its local magistrates and gentry.”
