Was among the pioneer architects in the nineteenth century commercial development of Cape Town. He was born in Selby, Yorkshire and educated at Westminster School. He was apprenticed to J McVicar Anderson, Stratton St, Piccadilly in London and studied at the South Kensington Schools for seven years. In 1880 he applied for Associate membership of the RIBA and signed the papers in Cape Town later the same year where his address was c/o the PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT in Cape Town. Ransome came to South Africa 'in connection with the Houses of Parliament in Cape Town' (Afr Archt Jul 1911:33). He had taken up an appointment with the Colonial Government to work on these buildings and for three and a half years assisted HS GREAVES with them. He left to set up independent practice in Cape Town about 1884, not in 1879 as stated in his obituary in the RIBA Journal (30 Sep 1911:735-36). According to various sources, Sea Point Town Hall (c1884) was among his first buildings, possibly won in competition, enabling him to launch his own practice. Thereafter Ransome designed a number of large commercial buildings in Cape Town in an Italianate style of which he was fond (Men of the Times, Cape 1906). Radford (1979:127) credits Ransome with introducing the mansard roof into Cape Town through his design for the Colonial Mutual Building (1887). Ransome's adoption of the Palladian style can be seen in the building he designed in 1900 for Thomas Riddell in Riebeek Street, Cape Town but towards 1905 he adopted the Grand Manner, popular for public buildings in the Edwardian period. In 1905 Ransome came second in the competition for the Southern Life Building in Cape Town. He was a founder member of the Engineering and Architectural Association of South Africa (Cape Town 1884) and was elected a committee member of the Cape Institute of Architects in 1902. He died in Cape Town, where he had practised for just over twenty years and is buried in Woltemade Cemetery, Cape Town. John PARKER assumed some of Ransome's jobs (see Parker, Staniforth & Bieldt Gift, UCT Libraries.)
ARIBA 1880; FRIBA 1906. (Afr Archt Jul 1911:37; ARIBA nom papers (1880); DSAB V:619-20; FRIBA nom papers (1906); Men Cape 1906:359; Picton-Seymour 1977; Radford 1979; RIBA Jnl 30 Sep 1911:735-36 obit; SAA&B Aug 1905:217 ill; SAB Dec 1932: 11, 13; SAWW 1908)
All truncated references not fully cited in 'References' are those of Joanna Walker's original text and cited in full in the 'Bibliography' entry of the Lexicon.
2 Double-storeyed villas for Messrs W Wilkinson and Son: 1891. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect  *
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2 Single-storey villas for P Pedersen: 1897. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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4 Double-storeyed villas for M Eilenberg: 1899. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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5 Double-storeyed villas for F Tyfield: 1898. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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7 Double-storeyed houses for A Hilliard: 1898. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Arderne's Buildings: 1800s : 1898. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect Additions and alterations (1898) *
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Arderne's Buildings: pre-1900. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Bonding store for CM Knight: 1897. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Building for South African Breweries: 1900. District Six, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Cape Argus Building: 1894. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect  *
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Cape Times Bldg: c1893. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Cecil Hotel: pre-1908. Newlands, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect Addition of Club Room (1905) *
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Cheltenham Hotel: n.d.: 1904 : 1910. District Six, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect 1904 upgrades
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Claridges Hotel: n.d. : 1893 : 1903. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect Alterations and additions *
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Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society Building: 1887. Central, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Colonial Orphan Chambers and Trust Co.: 1900 : 1931. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect pre 1910 *
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Commercial Union Association Company Limited, commercial premises: 1897. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Darter's Booksellers: c1876. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect Addition of 2 floors (1896) *
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Double-storey cottages for CH van Zyl: 1895. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Double-storeyed house for R Skippon: 1890. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Double-storeyed villa for SB Harsant: 1909. Claremont, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Dusseau's Bldg: c1897. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Economic Outfitters: c1893. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Fairbridge & Arderne's Bldgs, later Dominion Bldgs: 1895. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Flat Iron Building – Thomson Watson Building: 1901. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Good Hope Savings Bank: n.d.. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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House: n.d.. Central, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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House George RANSOME: 1800s : 1897. Foreshore, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect Alterations *
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Joinery Workshop for J Maxwell: 1895. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Juta's Building: 1902. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Juta's Building: c1900. Central, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Markham's Building: 1901. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Markham's Building: 1896. Johannesburg, Gauteng - Architect
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Meagers Boot Hospital: 1800s : 1895. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Mission Room for the Rev Mackone: 1899. District Six, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Office building for CH Knight: 1901. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Offices for R Skippon: n.d.. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Palmerston Hotel - Regent's Palace - Hotel Louis Botha: 1890; 1904. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect 1890 *
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Premises (shops and offices ) for J Jeppe: 1900. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Premises for C Mostert: 1893. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Premises for H Pickler: 1896. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Premises for Messrs J Sedgwick and Company: 1898. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Premises for TJ O'Reilly: 1893. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Princess Royal Hotel for Messrs SA Breweries Company Limited: 1800s : 1901. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Printing works for FY St Leger: 1896. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Roux's Hotel: 1902. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Seale's bldg: c1890. Central, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Shipley's Place: c1900. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Shop and showroom for D Isaacs: 1894. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Shop for SH Perrin: 1896. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Shops and rooming house for W Irwin: 1901. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Shops for CM Knight: 1897. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Shops for HA Gentz: 1894. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Shops for JH McKillip: 1894. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Single-storey villa for Phillips: 1896. Kenilworth, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Single-storey villa for R Skippon: 1891. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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South African Breweries Bldg: 1903. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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St James's Anglican Church: 1898 : 1936 : 1938. Sea Point, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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St John's Church: 1884. Wynberg, Western Cape - Architect
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Store and warehouse for GW Pilkington: 1894. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Store for CJ Knight: 1898. Te Waterkant, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Stores for Messrs Joseph Black and Company: 1902. District Six, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Stores for Messrs Joseph Black and Company: 1902. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Thomas Riddell Building: 1900. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Timber store for D Isaacs and Company: 1895. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Town Hall: c1884. Sea Point, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Villa for Eilenberg: 1899. Oranjezicht, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Villa residence for FE Utting: 1896. Tamboerskloof, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Villa residence for W Wilkinson: 1894. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Villa residence for WS Darter: 1896. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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White House Hotel / Strand Apartments: n.d.: 1891: 1893 : 1900 : 1911 : 1927. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect 1900 *
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Wine store for HC Collison: 1893. Foreshore, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Wine store for Messrs Sedgwick and Company: 1894. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Workshops, stable and associated structures for WM Gourlay: 1900. District Six, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect *
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Bakker, Karel A, Clarke, Nicholas J. 2014. Eclectic ZA Wilhelmiens : A shared Dutch built heritage in South Africa. Pretoria: Visual Books. pp 58
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Brown, SM. 1969. Architects and others: an annotated list of people of South African interest appearing in the RIBA Journal 1880-1925. Johannesburg: Unpublished dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand. pp
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Fransen, Hans. 2004. The old buildings of the Cape. A survey of extant architecture from before c1910 in the area of Cape Town - Calvinia - Colesberg - Uitenhage. Johannesburg & Cape Town: Jonathan Ball Publishers. pp 66, 80, 127, 155, 157
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HSRC. 1987. Dictionary of South African Biography Volume V. Pretoria: Human Sciences Research Council. pp 619-620
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Martin, Desmond. 2007. Walking Long Street. Cape Town: Struik. pp 94
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Walker, Michael. 2010. A Statement In Stone. Cape Town: Privately published by Michael Walker. pp 8-10
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Walker, Michael. 2012. Early architects of Cape Town and their buildings (1820 - 1926) with postcard illustrations, The. St James: Michael Walker. pp 33-40
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Walker, Michael. 2013. The pioneer architects of Johannesburg and their buildings (1886 - 1899) with postcard illustrations. St James: The Kalk Bay Historical Association. pp 8
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Walker, Michael. 2015. Old hotels of Cape Town (1890-1911), The : A history long forgotten, seldom told. St James: Published Privately. pp 16, 18, 19, 24, 49, 57, 68, 69, 75, 76
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