Education
Ramsden was born in Sheffield, the son of Cyril (who worked for the National Coal Board) and Mary Ramsden. He attended King Edward VII School from 1959-1966 followed by Corpus Christi College, Oxford, where he graduated with a first in modern history.
He moved to Nuffield College, Oxford to pursue doctoral research on "the organisation of the Conservative Party in Britain 1910-1930", under Robert Blake and David Butler.
He joined Queen Mary College, London, as a lecturer in History in January 1972.