Descendants of Stephen Flanders

Our Flanders lineage commences with Stephen Flanders, Sr. There is consensus that the the Flanders family lineage is of Flemish origins. A probable scenario is that the early family was from Flanders in Europe which is an area of land bordering the English Channel and the North Sea and encompasses portions of northwest France, western Belgium, and southwest Netherlands. The family probably immigrated to England in the late 1500s.

Our Stephen Flanders, Sr. was born ca 1620 with one source saying he was from Salisbury, Wiltshire Stephen Sr. died 27 June 1684 in Salisbury, Ma.; his will was dated 04 April 1684 and proved 30 September 1684. He married, prior to 1646 at Salisbury, Ma. Jane (–) who was born ca 162x and died 19 November 1683 at Salisbury, Ma. Tradition tells us that wife Jane (–) was a native American with a surname of Sandusky of native American origin. However, the majority of sources do not recognize the surname Sandusky.

Stephen Flanders, Sr. immigrated to New England prior to 1638, maybe as early as 1635. He is considered the immigrant ancestor of all colonial familes of the name of Flanders. His name was on the roll to incorporate the town of Salisbury in1638. He is of record in Salisbury in 1640 and noted as a proprietor of Salisbury from 1646 until 1677. There are records that he might have been in York, Maine in 1648/1649. There was a court procedure, July 1649 in Kittery, Maine where Stephen, Sr. was served with a warrant “to bring his wife into the next court, i.e., 16 October 1649, for abusing him, Stephen, Sr. and the neighbors”. However, there are definite records placing him again in Salisbury in 1650. It would seem that his wife, Jane, was a some what quick tempered and out spoken as she was again in court, Hampton Quarterly Court, on 08 April1653 and on 02 April 1664, for “abusive and slanderous language”. In Jane’s particular case, if she was of native American origin, the difference of race and language would account for much of her discord with her neighbors.

Stephen, Sr. took the Oath of Fidelity in 1651; there is no record that he was a “freeman” He was given one and one half acre of land in Salisbury in 1650. He also acquired some meadow land of which one third was left to his son, Stephen, Jr. Stephen, Sr. also acquired some wooded land near the Hampton, NH line. It is very likely that Stephen, Sr. was not a Puritan. He took no actice part in the Salisbury church and none of his children joined the church during his lifetime. The majority of his descendants were identified as being Methodist or Baptists. In short, one would think that our Stephen, Sr. was a bit of a maverick. Stephen, Sr. and Jane (–) Flanders had seven children with all births recorded at Salisbury, Ma. There were three sons and four daughter, all of which, except, daughter Mary, reached adulthood, married and had families.

References:PH7:271; PH13:233-234; PH19:158; PH27:150; PH48:V1:93; PH87:918; PH97:169; FH105:1-23; FH321:C1.

Stephen Flanders, Jr., the first child, was born 08 March 1646 in Salisbury, Ma. There is a bit of confusion as to his death date. Most sources note his death as being on “06 October 1744 at the advanced age of 98 years”. However, Edith Flanders Dunbar in her “The Flanders Family from Europe to America” 1935 notes Stephen, Jr. as dying prior to 29 May 1689, the date of his inventory. Further information, noted below, would seem to validate the 1689 date. Stephen, Jr. married, on 28 December 1670 at Salisbury, Ma., Abigail Carter who was born in February 1653 and was living in Salisbury in1747. She was the daughter of Thomas and Mary (–) Carter of Salisbury, Ma.

Stephen, Jr. received, from his father’s will, one third part of all the meadow lands of Stephen, Sr. plus one barrel of “syder” yearly from the orchard until he removed the three apple trees. It is assumed that he also inherited a portion of the woodland, near the Hampton, NH line. The wood acquired was used in making staves for barrels. On 28 June 1679, Stephen, Jr. along with his brothers Philip and John were defendants for “stealing 1100 red oak hogshead staves from Nathaniel Ware” who had land adjacent to them in the wooded land noted above. It was noted that “the woods were so thick that it was with difficulty that one lot was kept from running to another”. Stephen, Jr. purchased 30 acres of land from a Robert Downer wherein the deed dated 27 September 1710 notes “Robert Downer of Salisbury for fifteen pounds already paid him by Stephen Flanders, Jr., late of Salisbury, deceased et al”. This deed seems to confirm the death of Stephen Flanders, Jr as being in 1689.

Stephen, Jr. and Abigail Carter Flanders had eleven children, eight sons and three daughters. Thomas, the first son, and Philip, the sixth son, died very young. All of the nine living children are spoken of in Stephen Jr.’s will along with his wife.

References:PH7:271; PH13:234; PH18:87-88; PH19:158-159; PH27:150; PH48:V1:93; PH87:918; PH97:169; FH105:24-26; FH321:C1.

Daniel Flanders, the fourth child and fourth son of Stephen, Jr. and Abigail Carter, was born 16 March 1675 in Salisbury, Ma. and died ca March 1735 in Amesbury, Ma. His inventory was taken on 15 April 1735. Daniel married first, on 01 May 1700 at Amesbury, Ma, Sarah Jane Colby who was born ca 1685 and died prior to.24 October 1724, both at Amesbury, Ma. She was the mother of Daniel’s children. Daniel married, as his second wife, intentions 24 October 1724 at Amesbury, Dorothy Worthen Hoyt, widow of Joseph Hoyt. This Dorothy survived Daniel; her death date is not known.

Daniel was a carpenter by trade and resided at Amesbury, Ma. In the Order Book of Captain Henry True, Jr., Daniel is mentioned as one of ten men “sent by conduct of Ensign John Wadley, to Haverhill”. These ten men were “prest”(pressed), in March 1697, for service against the Indians in the King William’s War of 1689-1697. Daniel, in 1699, was chosen to help hand and install the Portsmouth meeting house bell. Daniel, with his brothers Joseph and Stephen, sold two and one half acres of land to Jonathan Grele on 22 February 1723. It would seem that our Daniel was a good law biding citizen “doing his thing”.

Daniel and Sarah Colby Flanders had five children, three sons and two daughter, all of which were born in Amesbury, Ma. They all reached adulthood, married, and had familes.

References:PH13:234; PH19:159; PH27:38,150; PH48:V1:93; PH87:918; FH80:16,45; FH105: 26,42-43; FH321:C2.

Eleanor Flanders, the first child and daughter of Daniel and Sarah Colby Flanders, was born 19 January, 1702, bp 01 February 1719, and died after 13 April 1745, the date of birth of her last child, at South Hampton, NH. She married, on 21 May 1726 at Amesbury, Ma. Jonathan Watson who was born on 12 October 1696 and died at Salisbury after 1745 at South Hampton, NH.

References:PH16:Ma.:84151,84175; PH19:159,343; PH27:38; PH181:383-384; FH105:43,67; FH321:C2.