Bernard Rançon (b. Tarbes, 20 November 1771)
Rançon entered military service as a second lieutenant in the 2nd battalion of the High Pyrenees on 20 October 1791 and was promoted to captain 1st class of the company of cannoneers of his battalion on 1 January 1793. He passed to the Cisalpine artillery on 24 July 1798, where he took an examination in 1799, was promoted to battalion chief on 12 November 1804 and to major in charge of matériel on 28 January 1814.
He participated in the campaigns in Spain from 1793 to 1796 and in the campaigns in Italy in 1796-97 and in 1799, when he was captured at Cuneo. He also served in Italy in the 1805, 1809 (where he was again taken prisoner at Capodistria (Koper)), and 1813-14 campaigns. He continued to serve in France come the Restoration, though was considered only a non-active battalion chief; then during the Hundred Days and the second Restoration, before retiring on 20 March 1822 (Cf. MSA, WO 2032, 1785, 117, OR 89, SHD 2Ye, non inventoried, general alphabetical classification 91-47).