Soldier and statesman. Ramsay joined the 26th (Cameronian) Regiment of Foot, rising to the rank of Colonel (1813) and becoming one of the Duke of Wellington's commanders in the Peninsular War (1808-14) and at Waterloo (1815).
He was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia in 1816 and his most notable action during his short tenure in this post was his foundation of Dalhousie College in Halifax (1818). This became Dalhousie University in 1863 and is today one of Canada's finest educational establishments, particularly noted for its medical school. Dalhousie is privately endowed, but otherwise was modelled on the University of Edinburgh, based on principles of religious tolerance and universal access.
In 1818, Dalhousie was promoted to Governor-General of Canada and then Governor-in-Chief in North America (1820-8). The town of Dalhousie in New Brunswick is named after him.
