Henry "Weston" Flesher

Henry “Weston” Flesher (1734 – 1803) – Henry Flesher was born on November 12, 1734 in Ober-Seemen, Heese, Germany, the son of Balthasar and Anna (Schmidt) Fleischer.  Henry immigrated to America with his older brother, Peter and family, arriving at the Port of Philadelphia on the ship “Phoenix” on November 2, 1752.[1]  Peter was a shoemaker by trade and had apparently taught his trade to his younger brother Henry.  Once in America their name became Flesher.  They moved to the German community that had been established on the South Branch of the Potomac River in what is now Pendleton County, West Virginia.  Henry married Elizabeth Bush in 1759.  They had twelve children.  In 1776 he moved his young family west settling at the mouth of Stone Creek on the West Fork River in what is now Lewis County, West Virginia, acquiring 400 acres. 

In 1781 frequent Indian attacks led Henry to take his family to Fort Buckhannon where they stayed until March, 1782, when they moved on to Fort Richards.  All of the adult men took their turn guarding and scouting.  Henry returned to his farm in 1784 (present day Weston, West Virginia[2]).  In October, 1784, Henry had been hauling logs for a stable.  On the way to his cabin to get a bell for his horse he was turning loose to graze in the woods, Indians fired upon Henry in an ambush.  Severely wounded by a ball passing through one of his arms, he managed to run to the cabin, pursued by a band of howling Indians.  Others inside the cabin fired on the Indians as Elizabeth Flesher pulled her husband to safety.  The attackers then retreated.  Fearing a renewal of the attack, the family fled to the woods where Edward Hughes found them and led them to the West Fork.  In 1786 he obtained title to an additional 400 acres of land.  Henry died in February, 1803, in Weston, Lewis County, West Virginia.  Elizabeth died in 1807 in Weston.[3]



[1] Passenger List the ship Phoenix, 1752, ship Captain was John Spurrier

[2] The town of Weston was briefly named Flesherville in 1819 before the name was changed to Weston.

[3] Flesher Family History in America, Thomas R. Flesher, 1999

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Father*                       Belthasar Fleischer (b. 16 Aug 1692, d. 10 Apr 1755)

Mother*                      Anna Maria Schmidt (b. Dec 1692, d. 31 May 1763)

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Birth*               12 Nov 1734

Marriage*         __ ___ 1759                Elizabeth Bush (b. 20 Feb 1740, d. 1807)

Daughter:         __ ___ 1761                Anna Elizabeth Flesher (b. 1761, d. 1850)

Son:               03 Nov 1763                Peter I Flesher (b. 03 Nov 1763, d. 25 Nov 1814)

Son:                29 Jul 1764                Adam J. Flesher (b. 29 Jul 1764, d. 04 Nov 1854)

Daughter:          _ ___ 1766                Elizabeth Flesher (b. 1766, d. 04 Apr 1843)

Daughter:       17 Dec 1768                Mary Flesher (b. 17 Dec 1768, d. 1840)

Son:              01 May 1771                Andrew S. Flesher (b. 01 May 1771, d. 06 Sep 1850)

Daughter:        __ ___ 1775                Susannah Flesher (b. 1775, d. 12 Jan 1851)

Son:               __ ___ 1776                Henry Flesher (b. 1776, d. 1840)

Son:              22 Aug 1782                John Flesher (b. 22 Aug 1782, d. 23 Mar 1866)

Son:               __ ___ 1785                William Flesher (b. 1785, d. 12 Jan 1817)

Daughter:                                         Catherine Ann Flesher

Death*            __ Feb 1803                Weston, Lewis County, WV.

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Written by Bob Krepps  © 2001 all rights reserved.  Permission granted to copy for personal & non-commercial purposes only.

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