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.

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.

[5] Both men laid out the parts of their land grants as village plots, and sold them to tradesmen and others eager to move to the area.

[7] As the area was settled, Flesher continued to be a prominent local figure, acting at various times as postmaster (1865–1867 and 1869–1872),[8] magistrate, druggist, and even doctor.

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.