William Kingston Flesher

William Kingston Flesher (June 10, 1825 – July 22, 1907) was a settler of southwestern Ontario, a militia officer, businessman and political figure. As well as founding the village of Flesherton, he represented the riding of Grey East in the House of Commons of Canada as a Conservative member from 1872 to 1878.

Early life Flesher was born in Kingston-upon-Hull, England in 1825, He was educated and spent his formative years in England. After he married Jane Foster in 1847 at the age of 22, they emigrated to Canada West. However, Flesher sensed that he would never make his fortune as an employee, and cast about for a better opportunity. The colonial government was granting 50-acre plots of land to settlers on the understanding that if the settler was able to clear twelve of the fifty acres within five years, the settler would be given free title to the entire plot. Flesher travelled north to the newly surveyed Artemesia Township in Grey County, and was settled on 50 acres of land at Artemesia Corners, the intersection of the Toronto-Syndenham and Durham Roads (later provincial Highways 10 & 4). He was only the second settler in the area, the first being Aaron Munshaw Jr., a former Reformer who had recently returned from exile after the failed Upper Canada Rebellion. Munshaw had been granted land on the east side of the Toronto-Sydenham Road straddling the Durham Road, and had built a small tavern at the intersection. Flesher's land grant was on the opposite side of the road.

As the area was settled, Flesher continued to be a prominent local figure, acting at various times as postmaster (1865–1867 and 1869–1872), magistrate, druggist, and even doctor. He was a vocal booster of the village, and convinced other businesses to settle in the area, and also organized a Masonic Lodge. In 1867, the settlement had grown to the point where a more "village-like" name was seen as desirable, and the name was changed to Flesherton. Flesher was also involved in local construction, and in 1868, for $565, was awarded the contract to rebuild Osprey School Section No. 9, a one-room school that had burned down the previous year.

In 1876, Flesher donated some of his land for construction of a permanent Methodist church. The red brick church was finished a year later, and dedicated on 18 November 1877 by Minister of Education Egerton Ryerson.

Family Flesher and his wife Jane raised five children: Two years later, Jack received word that his wife had died, and he subsequently never returned to Canada. He married a Maori woman, Tare Doris Wikaira, and raised another three children in New Zealand. Mary Alice, born 1854, married Thomas Simpson Sproule, William Henry, born 1856, also stayed in the area and worked as a businessman and artist, none were present for the 1911 census making Jane the last Flesher to live in Flesherton.

Electoral record