Alfred Ransom

The Honourable Sir Alfred Ransom KCMG
Sir Alfred Ransom in ca 1938
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Pahiatua
In office 7 December 1922 – 22 May 1943
Preceded by	Archibald McNicol
Succeeded by	Keith Holyoake
Personal details
Born	(1868-03-19)19 March 1868 Lower Hutt, New Zealand
Died	22 May 1943(1943-05-22) (aged 75) Dannevirke, New Zealand
Spouse(s)	Antonette Katinka Sondergaard (m. 1893)
Profession	farmer, saddler

Sir Ethelbert Alfred Ransom KCMG (19 March 1868 – 22 May 1943) was a New Zealand politician of the Liberal Party, then its successor the United Party, and from 1936, the National Party. He was a cabinet minister from 1928 to 1935 in the United Government, and was acting Prime Minister in 1930 and in 1935.

Ransom was born in 1868 in Lower Hutt. He received his education at Lower Hutt Primary, where he was school mate with Thomas Wilford. He played rugby and tennis during his youth. During the Second Boer War, he was an officer in charge of the Ruahine Mounted Rifles. He was a sheep farmer until 1888, and then a saddler in Dannevirke. From 1920 onwards, he was sheep farming in the Akitio district.

He held numerous public offices: he was chairman of the Hawke's Bay War Relief Association, chairman of the Dannevirke branch of the same organisation, chairman of the power board (until 1928), the first president of the local chamber of commerce, chairman of the fire board, member of the Dannevirke High School board, member of the executive of the Farmers' Union, and represented on the Dannevirke A&P Association.

On 1 March 1893, Ransom married Antonette Katinka Sondergaard from Palmerston North at her home town. They lost an infant daughter and a son in 1902 and 1905, respectively.

Ransom was elected onto the Dannevirke Borough Council in 1901. He stood for Mayor of Dannevirke in 1903, but was beaten by the Lutheran pastor Hans Madsen Ries in a closely fought contest. Ransom was Mayor of Dannevirke from 1910, when he succeeded Ries, to 1919.