One of a Thousand/Ranney, Ambrose A.
Ranney, Ambrose A., son of Waitstill R. and Phœbe (Atwood) Ranney, was born in Townshend, Windham county, Vt., April 16, 1821.
He fitted for college at the Townshend Academy, and was graduated from Dartmouth College in the class of 1844. His early life was spent on the home farm until he was nineteen years of age. His father was the leading physician of his native place, and was, for two years, lieutenant-governor of the state of Vermont.
After graduation he studied law with Hon. Andrew Tracy in Woodstock, Vt., and was admitted to the bar in Vermont in December, 1847. He immediately removed to Boston, and was admitted to the Suffolk bar in June, 1848.
Mr. Ranney was married in Cavendish, Vt., December 4, 1850, to Maria D., daughter of Addison and Maria (Ingals) Fletcher.
Of this union were four children: Fletcher Ranney (now a partner in his law firm), Maria F., Helen M., and Alice Ranney (now Mrs. Thomas Allen).
He was city solicitor for Boston 1855 and '56; member of the House of Representatives 1857, '63 and '64; elected to Congress in 1880, as a Republican, from the 3d congressional district; was twice re-elected, serving through the 47th, 48th and 49th Congresses. He joined the Republican party at its organization, and has ever since remained a staunch and active worker in its ranks.
He served two terms in Congress on the committee on elections, investigating frauds and rendering most valuable service in the interests of fair elections and the integrity of the ballot-box, dealing, as had been his wont at the bar, heavy blows in his condemnation of all frauds and infringements of the rights of citizens.
During the last term he was a member of the judiciary committee and was appointed at the head of a special committee on the Republican side of the House to investigate the famous Pan Electric scheme, involving the reputation and conduct of high governmental officials and exciting great public interest. His services on this committee are a matter of honorable record.
His absorbing aim and ambition was, however, in the profession of the law. In this, before entering Congress, he had achieved eminent success in fame and fortune. He had been only a few years at the bar when the office of city solicitor was conferred upon him, and his duties therein were discharged with entire satisfaction to all. He had little taste for politics, and political honors have at all
Ambrose A. Ranney.
times been thrust upon him, rather than sought for. But during his legislative service, both state and national, he won the respect and esteem of all parties, and impressed the public generally by his manly bearing, his fidelity to duty, as he understood it, and his great ability as a profound lawyer, and a successful legislator. He may be said to have achieved a national reputation. While his return to private life, and his chosen profession, may have been more congenial to him, his loss to the public service was the cause of deep regret among all who knew him and appreciated his virtues.