 Royce akaberekerwa muTinmouth muRepublic of Vermont musi waAugust 12, 1787, mwanakomana waStephen Royce 1764-1833, murwi weAmerican Revolution uye Hondo ya1812, naMinerva Marvin Royce, mwanasikana waEbenezer Marvin, uyo akashanda semutongi uye nhengo yeVermonts Council of Censors. Royce akakurira muFranklin neBerkshire uye akapinda zvikoro zvomunzvimbomo. Akaenda kuchikoro kuTinmouth uye akapedza kudzidza kuAddison County Grammar School. Akatanga kupinda Middlebury College muna 1804, uko vaaidzidza navo vaisanganisira Daniel Azro Ashley Buck naWilliam Slade. Akadzidzisa pachikoro muSheldon kuti awane mari yake yokudzidza, uye akapedza kudzidza paMiddlebury muna 1807. 