James Edward Ransome (1839 - 1905) made a name for himself in more ways than one. Not only was he elected founder chairman/captain of Ipswich Golf Club in its inaugural year of 1895, he was also the man behind the first petrol-driven lawnmower and agricultural tractor.
Ransome, along with two others, Arthur Pearce (1850 - 1915) and Alexander Gibb (1840 - 1925), did so much to get the club off the ground, securing the lease for the land at Rushmere for the first Ipswich course.
The club's first trophy - played for on Boxing Day 1895 - bears his name and, as the Ransome Cup, is still an annual Boxing Day fixture on the Ipswich Golf Club men's calendar.
The name Ransome is also known the world over as the manufacturer of high-quality grass-cutting machinery. Now part of the Textron group, the company still operates in Ipswich and is a key player in turf-care equipment.