Famous People with Name Ramsden

Jesse Ramsden            Origin/Culture/Country: English

Jesse Ramsden: was an English astronomical and scientific instrument maker.Ramsden created one of the first high-quality dividing engines. This led to his speciality in dividing circles, which began to supersede the quadrants in observatories towards the end of the 18th century. His most celebrated work was a 5-feet vertical circle, which was finished in 1789 and was used by Giuseppe Piazzi at Palermo in constructing his catalogue of stars. He was the first to carry out in practice a method of reading off angles (first suggested in 1768 by the duke of Chaulnes) by measuring the distance of the index from the nearest division line by means of a micrometer screw which moves one or two fine threads placed in the focus of a microscope.

Joseph George Ramsden            Origin/Culture/Country: American

Joseph George Ramsden: was a long active municipal politician in Toronto, Canada. He was born in Thornhill and first became active in politics working for Alexander Mackenzie in a York East by-election. He served for fifteen years as Chief Inspector for the Department of Indian Affairs, which saw him travel extensively through the north of the country. He was also a businessman owning a bakery and other stores in the city. He was first elected to Toronto City Council in 1903 and retired as a member of the Toronto Board of Control in 1936. In total he won sixteen elections over that period, also losing office at several points. He was a Liberal Party member in a city whose politics were then dominated by the Tories. In 1935 he attempted to run for mayor but finished a distant third behind Co-operative Commonwealth Federation member James Simpson and conservative Harry W. Hunt. He was nicknamed the "Watchdog of the Treasury" for his focus on reducing spending whenever possible.