Nathaniel is raised in Norfolk, England, and settles in Saugeen in 1851, as one of the first European settlers there. He and his son Edward, who makes some entries, record social life, farming, and a trip to Muskoka in the 1870s in search of land. Between 1870 and 1874, he is in Missouri, USA, working as a postmaster and teacher. In 1874, he returns to the family farm. Besides farming, Nathaniel serves as a tavern inspector, a secretary of the school board, an inspector of noxious weeds (1912), and township treasurer (1892-1914). He keeps farm account books and correspondence.

Nathaniel E. Leeder Family: back row, left to right: Robert, Mary Elizabeth, Edward, Hannah, Albert.
Sitting: Nathaniel E. Leeder and his wife, Mary Caroline (Schwinker), c. 1890.

Image courtesy of the Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre.