William Kingston Flesher
Encyclopedia
William Kingston Flesher (June 10, 1825 – July 22, 1907) was surveyor and 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 Canadian House of Commons
as a Conservative
member from 1872 to 1878.
in 1825, the eldest child of Rev. John Flesher, a Methodist preacher and Jane (née Cawood) Flesher. 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.
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), a place called Artemesia Corners. He built a saw mill and a grist mill on the nearby Boyne River
, and eventually built a large house for his family.
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 recognition of his contributions, the name of the settlement was changed to Flesher's Corners. In 1866, in response to the Fenian Raids
, Flesher became captain of the local militia, No. 6 Company of the 31st Grey Regiment. 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
.
(1855–1857, 1861–1862, 1865 and 1867), and Reeve of the village (1854–1865 and 1866–1878). In 1867, he ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the provincial legislature, but in 1872, as a Conservative
, he was elected to the House of Commons
as the first MP for the new riding of Grey East
. He served in John A. Macdonald
's Opposition, and was re-elected in 1874 before retiring in 1878 to make way for Thomas Simpson Sproule
, the man who would marry his daughter Mary Alice in 1881.
Flesher's younger brother John
lived in the Flesherton area for several years before moving to Orangeville, Ontario
, where he served as the district's MPP in the Ontario legislative assembly for 4 years.
, Wales
.
Flesher's wife Jane survived him by 4 years, dying in 1911. She was buried in Flesherton Cemetery beside her son William Henry. Although descendants of her daughters continued to live in the area, her older son John and his family had moved away from the area, and her younger son William Henry had died without sons, making Jane the last Flesher to live in Flesherton.
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, a militia officer, businessman and political figure. As well as founding the village of Flesherton, he represented the riding of Grey East
Grey East
Grey East was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1872 to 1917. It was located in the province of Ontario...
in the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
as a Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada (historical)
The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...
member from 1872 to 1878.
Early life
Flesher was born in Kingston-upon-Hull, EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1825, the eldest child of Rev. John Flesher, a Methodist preacher and Jane (née Cawood) Flesher. 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.
Surveyor and settler
The government of the time was eager to have the forests north and west of Toronto surveyed so that roads could be built and land lots granted. Flesher agreed to survey part of Artemesia Township in the southeast corner of what was soon to become Grey County, and as was customary at the time, he was paid in land grants within the surveyed area. Flesher chose several parcels of land around the intersection of the newly built Toronto-Sydenham Road and the Durham Road (later provincial Highways 10Highway 10 (Ontario)
King's Highway 10, commonly referred to as Highway 10 and historically as the Toronto–Sydenham Road, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario...
& 4
Highway 4 (Ontario)
King's Highway 4, also known as Highway 4, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. Originally much longer than its present length, more than half of Highway 4 was transferred to the responsibility of local governments in 1998. In its present form, it travels...
), a place called Artemesia Corners. He built a saw mill and a grist mill on the nearby Boyne River
Boyne River (Ontario)
There are four rivers named Boyne River in Ontario, Canada.The Boyne River in Grey County flows from above the Niagara Escarpment through Flesherton to join the Beaver River at ; the Beaver River then flows to Georgian Bay...
, and eventually built a large house for his family.
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 recognition of his contributions, the name of the settlement was changed to Flesher's Corners. In 1866, in response to the Fenian Raids
Fenian raids
Between 1866 and 1871, the Fenian raids of the Fenian Brotherhood who were based in the United States; on British army forts, customs posts and other targets in Canada, were fought to bring pressure on Britain to withdraw from Ireland. They divided many Catholic Irish-Canadians, many of whom were...
, Flesher became captain of the local militia, No. 6 Company of the 31st Grey Regiment. 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
Egerton Ryerson
Adolphus Egerton Ryerson was a Methodist minister, educator, politician, and public education advocate in early Ontario, Canada...
.
Politician
Flesher served as Warden of Grey CountyGrey County, Ontario
Grey County is a county and census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. The county seat is in Owen Sound. The population was 92,411 in 2006. It is located in the subregion of Southern Ontario named Southwestern Ontario...
(1855–1857, 1861–1862, 1865 and 1867), and Reeve of the village (1854–1865 and 1866–1878). In 1867, he ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the provincial legislature, but in 1872, as a Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada (historical)
The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...
, he was elected to the House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
as the first MP for the new riding of Grey East
Grey East
Grey East was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1872 to 1917. It was located in the province of Ontario...
. He served in John A. Macdonald
John A. Macdonald
Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , QC was the first Prime Minister of Canada. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, his political career spanned almost half a century...
's Opposition, and was re-elected in 1874 before retiring in 1878 to make way for Thomas Simpson Sproule
Thomas Simpson Sproule
Thomas Simpson Sproule was a Canadian parliamentarian, Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons from 1911–1915, and a member of the Canadian Senate from 1915–1917.-Early life and education:...
, the man who would marry his daughter Mary Alice in 1881.
Family
Flesher and his wife Jane raised five children:- Jane, born 1850, married and became Mrs. W. Ainsley.
- John ("Jack"), born 1852, moved to Parry Sound, OntarioParry Sound, OntarioParry Sound is a town in Central Ontario, Canada, located on Parry Sound on the eastern shore of Georgian Bay. Parry Sound is located south of Sudbury and north of Toronto. It is the seat of Parry Sound District, a popular cottage country region for Southern Ontario residents. It is also the...
with his wife Mary Anne and seven children. In 1902, when his employer sent him to New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
to supervise the construction of New Zealand's first saw mill, his wife Mary Anne and his children remained behind in Canada. 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 SprouleThomas Simpson SprouleThomas Simpson Sproule was a Canadian parliamentarian, Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons from 1911–1915, and a member of the Canadian Senate from 1915–1917.-Early life and education:...
, a local businessman from nearby MarkdaleMarkdale, OntarioMarkdale is a community in the Municipality of Grey Highlands, in Grey County, Ontario, Canada.Markdale was first settled in 1846 and originally called East Glenelg, after a nearby township. In 1864, it was renamed Cornabus after the Islay, Scotland hometown of then-postmaster Donald MacDuffie...
who had succeeded William Flesher as the local MP in 1878 and subsequently served eight consecutive terms, eventually becoming Speaker of the House of CommonsSpeaker of the Canadian House of CommonsThe Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada is the presiding officer of the lower house of the Parliament of Canada and is elected at the beginning of each new parliament by fellow Members of Parliament...
from 1911 to 1915, and a member of the Senate from 1915 until his death in 1917. - William Henry, born 1856, also stayed in the area and worked as a businessman, but died at the relatively young age of 42 in 1898.
- an adopted daughter Ida
Flesher's younger brother John
John Flesher
-Early life:Flesher was born in Duffield, Derbyshire, England in 1833, the son of Rev. John Flesher, a Methodist preacher and Jane Flesher...
lived in the Flesherton area for several years before moving to Orangeville, Ontario
Orangeville, Ontario
Orangeville is a town in south-central Ontario, Canada, and the seat of Dufferin County.-History:Before European settlers, Orangeville was thought to be a native hunting ground...
, where he served as the district's MPP in the Ontario legislative assembly for 4 years.
Death
Flesher travelled back to England frequently—some accounts say more than 35 times. During one such visit at the age of 82 in 1907, he died in CarnarvonCaernarfon
Caernarfon is a Royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,611. It lies along the A487 road, on the east banks of the Menai Straits, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is to the northeast, while Snowdonia fringes Caernarfon to the east and southeast...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
Flesher's wife Jane survived him by 4 years, dying in 1911. She was buried in Flesherton Cemetery beside her son William Henry. Although descendants of her daughters continued to live in the area, her older son John and his family had moved away from the area, and her younger son William Henry had died without sons, making Jane the last Flesher to live in Flesherton.