During Charles Kemble's management of Covent Garden, Ransford was heard as a baritone in the part of Don Caesar in the Castle of Andalusia, performed on 27 May 1829, and was engaged soon afterwards by Samuel James Arnold for the English Opera House (now the Lyceum).

In 1831 he played leading characters under Robert William Elliston at the Surrey Theatre, where he won great popularity.

In 1832 he was with Joseph Grimaldi at Sadler's Wells, playing Tom Tuck in Andrew V. Campbell's nautical drama The Battle of Trafalgar, in which he made a great hit with S. C. Neukomm's song "The Sea".

After his retirement from the stage Ransford for a time sang at concerts, and then, from 1845 onwards, produced a series of popular musical entertainments, in which he was the chief performer.

Under the name of "Aquila" he composed thirteen "Sacred Ballads" (1862–9), and wrote the words of the well-known song, "In the Days when we went gipsying".