General Notes

m. 1645 in Salisbury, Essex, MA

Children:
Stephen Flanders b. 8 Mar 1646 in Salisbury, Essex, MA
Phillip Flanders  b.14 Jul 1652 in Salisbury, Essex, MA
Sarah Flanders  b.5 Nov 1654 in Salisbury, Essex, MA
Naomi Flanders  b.15 Dec 1656 in Salisbury, Essex, MA
John Flanders  b. 11 Feb 1659 in Salisbury, Essex, MA

From "The Flander Family From Europe to America" by Edith Dunbar, 1935

Pioneer to the American Colonies
With but few exceptions, all who bear the name of Flanders in the United States and Canada find a common ancestor in him whose signature appears above. The handwriting of our pioneer ancestor has thus been preserved to us, attached to many old documents of the period. The quaintness of the handwriting of the seventeenth century is at once an obstacle and a source of interest to the present day reader. For example, the ff in "fflanders" is double to indicate capitalization, and corresponds to our present capital F. An inspection of these early documents has shown that, despite certain minor variations in chirography, our ancestor invariable spelled his given name, STEVEN, employing the V in place of the usual PH. The French, German, and English spelling of the name is STEPHEN or STEPHAN. The Russians also employ the F (PH) sounds, instead of the V. In contrast with these, the Flemish and Dutch employ the V, as did our ancestor.

While too much significance should not be attached to the spelling of a name, it is a matter of considerable interest that Steven Flanders should have followed the Flemish form in view of the fact that he was undeniably of Flemish stock, coming to this country from the Flemish Netherlands or possibly from England. I have been informed that the name of Stephen is most uncommon in England, but is found spelled with the V. As the biblical spelling, Stephen, is the more common, it is very likely that this V form was introduced by the Flemish emigrants, many of whom settled in England in the 16th and 17th centuries, and a certain number even prior to that period.


Many of us consider that our ancestor, Steven Flanders, cam from the Flemish Netherlands - from the old provinces of Flanders (now a part of Belgium); others are disposed to believe that he came from England. In an attempt to settle this question, extensive research has been carried out in both Belgium and in England. The results of these investigations, being still open to controversy in certain details, will be found in the addenda of this volume. Further research is being carried on and should additional information be obtained, a later edition will be published. At the present time this much may be said: Steven Flanders was of Flemish origin. As to the country in which he was residing at the time of his emigration to America, the following possibilities exist: that he was a native of the old provinces of Flanders, and sailed from a Flemish port or a Dutch port to this country, or sailed first to England and resided there a certain time before coming to the Colonies; secondly, that he was born in England as a child of Flemish emigrants. From the evidence set forth in this volume, the reader is invited to draw his own conclusions as to which of these possibilities he considers the more probable.

From the family traditions we learn that our pioneer ancestor arrived in this country "soon after the Mayflower"; that he landed in Maine, Massachusetts, or new York; that he was the son of an earl; that he was found on a battlefield of Flanders when he was a boy of 4 or 5 years of age, and was then taken to England; that he fled from the Flemish Netherlands in a "pork barrel" in order to escape religious persecution; that he came to this country inspired by a love for adventure; and that he narrowly escaped shipwreck in a violent store at sea, losing papers entitling him to money and property, so that he reached the shores of the new country in a penniless condition. It would be interesting, were it possible, to trace the common origin of these diverse accounts. While a fuller exposition of these traditions is given elsewhere in the book, the present summary reveals that, among the many inconsistencies of these legends, there is a point of mutual agreement - that Steven Flanders cam from the provinces of Flanders.

While the deficiency of data on our 1st American ancestor (inclining one to believe that the well-known "Flanders taciturnity" had its origin in him) leaves unanswered much that we would like to know, such information as has been obtained is quite consistent in what it suggests concerning his characters, and affords us a rough outline of his activities.

The time of his coming and the date of his birth are unknown. Whether he was a youth, or a man nearing middle age, when he decided to seek his fortune in the New World, we do not know.


James Savage mentions in his "Genealogical Dictionary" that Steven Flanders was twice married. No authority is cited for this statement, nor have any records been found to verify it. However, it is quite possible that such was the case, for there are many indications that Steven was not a young man when he settled at Salisbury, Mass. For example, he was never called upon for military service in the Indian troubles of the time. An additional indication of advanced age is found in the inventory of his estate, which lists among his belongings "2 payre of spectacles." In the Colonies during the 17th century, spectacles were uncommon; they were employed by the aged as an aid to reading - an occupation for which there was seldom time until bodily infirmity prevented the early planters from carrying on their outdoor activities. The fact that Steven was the owner of "2 payre" might well suggest that he was man well advanced in years at the time of his death in 1684 - only 38 years after the birth of his first recorded child. If he had been a young man in 1646 when his first recorded child was born, he would have been but slightly over 60 years of age at the time of death - scarcely to be considered as an old man. Also, his will is subscribed, not with his signature, but with his mark. This instrument is dated 4 months prior to his death, and a petition made out in 1680 was signed for him (probably by his son Philip). As his own signature was attached to several earlier documents, the absence of his personal signature to the later ones might well be due to the infirmities of age.

It has been stated that Steven Flanders was the only one of the name who came to this country in the early days. If such were the case, then we must conclude that he was twice married and that he had other children by the first marriage - for there are records of other Flanders in New York State and in Virginia about 1683. The data concerning these will be found listed under "Undetermined Descent."

The universal opinion appears to have been that Steven made his first settlement in America between 1640 and 1646," and that he "settled at Salisbury, Mass.," doubtless forming his conclusion from the above statement of Savage band the fact that the list of Salisbury's first settlers, drawn up in 1640, bore no mention of the name of Steven Flanders. Since the publication of Prescott's genealogy in 1873, all books of genealogical reference have repeated this statement in one form or another. Bercause of this continual repetition, it is important that the significance of these dates be appreciated, as they are misleading, and probably erroneous.



The town of Salisbury had no permanent settlement prior to 1640, and since Steven's name does not appear on the list of original settlers drawn up in 1640, his arrival would necessarily have been subsequent to that year. Now in 1646, on the 8th of March, we find entered among the births on the town records of Salisbury - "Steven sone of Steven fflanders & Jane his wyfe." These two dates form the sole authority for the above statements in regard to the time of the arrival of our ancestor, Steven, in this country and his settlement at Salisbury.

[ More about records and about when whether and when they were in York, Maine, or Salisbury, Mass.]

While there no seems to be no question that our ancestor was a resident of Gorgeana, Maine, and removed to Salisbury in 1649 or early in 1650, we have no evidence at all concerning the post of his arrival in this country. The principal harbors of that period were those of Boston, Salen, and Newburyport, on the Mass. Coast, and Portsmouth on the N.H. coast. In Bradford's "History of the Plymouth County" he tells of a ship which arrived in February, 1623, which was nearly wrecked by a severe storn at sea. It succeeded, finally, in putting in at the harbor of Portsmouth, NH. There is a certain correspondence between the description of this voyage, as given by William Bradfor, and the old family tradition that Steven Flanders arrived shortly after the Mayflower, and was almost wrecked in a storm at sea. While this is merely a coincidence, it would, however, account for his settling at the nearby town of York, Maine - a supposition which is interesting, though without proof.

Those of us who are interested in coincidence may find a certain pleasure in the fact that Maine, according to an article in the Maine Historical Collections, has been termed, "The Flanders, or in more modern phraseology, and the Belgium of America." What could be more fitting thatn that Steven Flanders should make a settlement there?

While there is little to inform us of the temperament of our pioneer ancestor, or of his activiteis in Salisbury, he evidently made good, for we find him listed by John Q. Evans in his book "Salisbury's Earliest Settlers," as one of the "prominent settlers whose names have been handed down to this generation."

We may believe that he was religious, though there are no records to show that he participated actively in the affairs of Salisbury Church. He was not a member, and noe of his children were baptized until after his death. But at the time of his death he had in his possession "bibles and books," - the exact number is not stated On May 19, 1658, he signed a petision relating to a "religious dissension" in the Salisbury Church, but this petition set forth that the "dissension was not of sufficient importance to require the appointment of a council, particularly as this would incur expense on the part of the towns people in the payment of their board at Sam'l Hall's." We may ask whey Steven took no part in the activities of the Puritan Church at Salisbury until this dissension came up. What more obvious answer could there be thatn that he was a member of the dissenting party? At at time when the Puritan Church was an organ of government, such that "none could have justice" from the courts, "save such as were members," it is easy to understand why anyone not in sympathy with the church would prefer to have his dissension therefrom pass unnoticed; also, considering the text of the petition, as a member of the dissenting party, his signature would give greater weight to the petition. Of course, we might add that he was averse to assist in paying the board of the council at Sam'l Hall's. As he was of Flemish origin, it is natural to suppose that he was a Walloon or French Protestant, and this conjecture is substantiated by the fact that the majority of his descendants, from his immediate progeny up to the present generations, were and are members of the Baptist or Methodist form of faith, many becoming ministers of these denominations.


1. Stephen Flanders was found as a little lost boy on a battlefield of Flanders. The English soldiers who befriended him took him to England, and gave him as a surname that of the place in which they had found him.

2. Stephen Flanders, being a dear friend of the reigning sovereign, King Philip, expressed a desire to go to the New Country. The King, loath to let him depart, as he would sorely miss his jolly companionship and entertaining ways, asked why he wished to go. Stephen replied" "I want to go to a free country where I can worship God according to the dictates of my own conscience." When the King found he could not be prevailed upon to stay with his old friends, even after several alluring offers had been made to him, he said: "Then go, and God go with you. I will name one of provinces in your memory."



3. My father tells me a story that Flandorie was the name in France. In one great battle our side was losing and the standard bearer was killed as they were storming Flanders Hill. Flandorie seized the standard as it fell, and shouted to the boys, "Come on boys, come on." They ralled to his enthusia;sm and won the heights. The governor, or king, of the province wanted to honor Flandoeri so he changed the name to Flanders after the province. Flanders then came to America, soon after the Mayflower.

4. A tradition has come to us through Stephen's son John that his father was the first son of an earl, and that he was found on the field after a battle in Flanders, from which fact he derived the name Flanders.

5. Stephen Flanders fled to America from Belgium on account of religious persecution.

6. Stephen, or his father, was a Huguenot, who fled from France, settled in England for a while, and then came to America.


Jane, Wyfe of Steven Flanders
Aside from a few court records, we have practically no knowledge of our ancestress, Jane. Tradition, it is true, states that she was an Indian woman, who had been converted to Christianity, and that her name was thought to have been Sandusky, or that she belonged to the tribe of Sandusky Indians. No confirmation of either of these statements has been found, nor have any records of a tribe of this name in the eastern part of this country been obtained. The high cheek bones, quite prevalent in the Flanders family, are considered evidence of this Indian ancestry, but these are also found in the Flemish prototype, as described in "Human Heredity."

[My comment - I found the term "Sandusky Indians' used elsewhere to refer to Indians around Fort Sandusky, on one of the Great Lakes."]

No record the marriage of Steven Flanders and Jane has been found, therefore, we have no way of determining when and where this marriage took place. The natural deduction would be that they were married after Steven arrived in this country, for, apparently the son born in 1646 was their first child. Had there been other living children born to the prior to this time, some trace of them must surely have been found.

The length of the resident of Steven and Jane in Maine is not known. At the time of the first settlement of Salisbury, Mass., we learn that many French settlers were coming down the St. Lawrence into Maine and it would not be unnatural to assume that Steven married a daughter of one of these French emigrants, as the surname of Sandusky given to Jane in the old tradition might easily be a corruption of some French name, such as Saint Estrees; also the indications of her nervous, excitable temperament, given in the old court records, incline one to this belief.

A ready tongue, together with no hesitancy in using it, were attributes which could not pass unrecorded in a community of Puritans whose government was severe to the point o condoning nothing. That Jane possessed these attributes cannot be doubted, after reading the following court records. If anyone should be inclined to think harshly of her conduct, he would do well to study the old court records, for contention among neighbors was a common offense and the majority of the women of the day were summoned to court to answer to this charge. Their lives of constant struggle against all manner of hardships and discomforts were provocative of abusive speech. In Jane's particular case the difference in religion, and the possible difference of race and language - factors never found to promote understanding - would account for much of this discord with her neighbors. It is also true that the early settlements were composed of men of varying culture, brought together in a status of fairly uniform equality; a state of things more conducive to cause disputes among neighbors than would have been the case had all had the same cultural background.

Jane Flanders died at Salisbury, Mass, on November 19th, 1683.

The Old Norfolk County Records give the following:
4:8:1653Hampton Quarterly Court: Willi: Osgood vs Jane fflanders; Slanders; In saying he threatened to beat her and in using reviling speeches against him and his wife; calling his wife, mill mare, and him, forsworn wretch; with drawn.
Apr.2, 1664, Widdow Peaslee & Jane fflanders for rayleing at carriages & misbehaviour are to have a legall admonition & to pay 10 shillings A Peece for a fine to ye County.
Wher as Jane fflanders the wyffe of Steven fflanders was convicted before this Court of being guilty of telling severall lies, & for making debate among neighbors & casting great reproaches upon severall: Also ye sd Jane fflanders did acknowledg in Court that she is often distempered in her head the prmises considered: this Court doth judg yt she shalbe disenabled for giving evidenced in any case dureing the pleasure of the Court & to be bound to her good behaviour in the sum of 10 pound and upon legall prof of ye breach of hir good behavior before Capt. Pikd & Mr. Thos. Bradbury to pay hir 10 pound or to be whipt to ye number of (10) stripes at or upon som lecture day when they shal appoint ye Constable to performe the same: & to pay ye witnisses 20sh. Jan fflanders doth binde hirselfe to ye sum of tenn poun to ye treasurer of this Country on condicion that she shall be of good behavior towards all men.

Complaint to Salisbury Court of Goodwife fflanders: Against Samuel Gachell & his wife for calling her vile names. She and hir daughter went in Gachells' field to see where their cattle had broken in and Goodwife Gachell met them and asked if they had come to steal their corn, "I said no I have no need of yor corn: then shee said geet out of my ground thou pennycoinquick - I am shure you are com to stell my corn she had a pumking in hier hand she held it up & said shee woold stave my hed with it, then I said if my Cattell have stroyed your corn yor piggs have stroyed Mine wheat, then she said com down St. Donstan to heare how th Deuill lies & Likewise good man Gacheall doe often prouache me by calling my Children Deuills, etc.