[1] 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.
William Fowler of New York City;[1] together they would raise twelve children, nine of whom survived infancy.
[1] In 1857, he became the Flesherton post master, a position his brother had also held,[3] but after six months, he resigned and moved his family to Albion, Ontario to open a store.
[1] In 1868, he moved to the village of Orangeville, Ontario, where he operated a store for a few years before switching to brokerage and conveyancing.
[4] Flesher was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, 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..."[1]