| This area of Ontario is covered by Leeds County GenWeb. The information presented below is merely an outline of the county and does not include what is available for genealogical research for this area. For information on genealogical research of this area please visit Leeds County GenWeb. |
Leeds County was established in 1792, one of the original nineteen counties created by Governor John Graves Simcoe.
Leeds was named for the Fifth Duke of Leeds, Francis Godolphin Osborne "who was Secretary of State for the Home Department in 1783."2
The area was first settled by United Empire Loyalists who arrived in 1784. Townships were set aside for specific soldiers, for instance Township 8 (Elizabethtown Township) was set aside for Jessup's Loyal Rangers.
In 1788 western Leeds County was opened for settlement, in the 1790's the rear townships were opened. Settlement was slow until after the war of 1812 when disbanded soldiers and British emigrants settled in the area. A majority of the British emigrants were from Scotland and arrived in 1816. Even more settlement occurred during the 1820's after the construction of the Rideau Canal.
"Today Leeds is largely rural. Tourism has become increasingly important to the county economy."2
Leeds County is located in South-Eastern Ontario.
1792-1798 - part of Eastern District
1798-1849 - part of Leeds District
1852-present - part of the municipality of Leeds and Grenville United Counties
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2 Places In Ontario by Nick & Helma Mika, 1977
