John Flesher (June 8, 1833 – March 5, 1910) was an
Ontario merchant and political figure.
Early life
Flesher was born in
Duffield,
Derbyshire,
England in 1833,
the son of Rev. John Flesher, a
Methodist preacher and Jane (née Cawood) Flesher. He was educated in a collegiate institute at
Ramsgate
Ramsgate is a seaside resort, seaside town in the district of Thanet District, Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century. In 2001 it had a population of about 40,000. In 2011, according to t ...
.
Settler and businessman
Flesher emigrated to
Canada West in 1847 at the age of 14 with his older brother
William, who was to become an
MP and a prominent figure in the settlement of
Grey County.
John first settled in
Flesherton
Flesherton (population 584) is a community in the Municipality of Grey Highlands, in Grey County, Ontario, Grey County, Ontario, Canada, located at the junction of Highway 10 (Ontario), Highway 10 and Grey County Road 4 (formerly Highway 4 (Ontar ...
, the village that his brother had founded, where he helped his brother operate a
grist mill and
saw mill. In 1855, he married Mary Ann Fowler, the only daughter of Rev. William Fowler of New York City;
together they would raise twelve children, nine of whom survived infancy.
In 1857, he became the Flesherton post master, a position his brother had also held, but after six months, he resigned and moved his family to
Albion, Ontario to open a store.
He returned almost immediately to Grey County, then the following year, he purchased a mill property owned by his brother in
Adjala Township,
where for the next ten years he manufactured flour and lumber. He also started his political career, serving as a school trustee.
In 1868, he moved to the village of
Orangeville, Ontario
Orangeville (Canada 2016 Census 28,900) is a town in south-central Ontario, Canada, and the seat of Dufferin County.
History
The first patent of land was issued to Ezekiel Benson, a land surveyor, on August 7, 1820. That was followed by land ...
, where he operated a store for a few years before switching to brokerage and
conveyancing.
He also became a
Master Mason.
Politician
When Orangeville was incorporated as a town in 1874, he was elected to the first town council, and served as councillor for several terms.
Flesher was elected to the
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA, french: Assemblée législative de l'Ontario) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by ...
, representing the Cardwell district as a
Conservative from 1875 to 1879, and was lauded as "a conscientious and earnest advocate of the principles of that party..."
Electoral history
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Flesher, John
1833 births
1910 deaths
English emigrants to pre-Confederation Ontario
Immigrants to the Province of Canada
People from Duffield
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario MPPs