Steven Flanders was born in 1620 in the Flemish Netherlands from old provinces of Flanders (which is now a part of Belgium).

His father was Sir Robert Flanders (1597-1647) and his mother was Jane Campyn (1593-1625). His father was an Earl.

He married Jane Sandusky in 1643 in Amesbury, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony of British Colonial America. They were the parents of 7 children: Mary (1643-1650), Stephen II (1646-1689), Mary (1650-1719) Phillip (1652-1712), Sarah (1654-1717), Naomi (1656-1718), and Cpl John (1658-1716). Jane was rumored to have been of Native American descent, but this is likely nothing more than an evolved rumor (see her record for more information).

It is unknown when exactly he came to the "New World", but there is documentation that he resided in York, Maine before arriving in Salisbury, Massachussets where he made his first settlement in approximately 1649/1650. He most likely arrived in this country several years before this time though, and it may have been many years before, as there have been found scattered records of men bearing the name of Flanders in other parts of the American Colonies in the 1600-1700s, who may have been his children by a former marriage.

The evidence on which this supposition rests is:

(1) His wife appeared in a court in York, Maine on October 16, 1649. During that period, the local communities in York and nearby towns had established their independent court system, free from the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Colony. Consequently, they lacked the authority to summon residents of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Therefore, it is probable that had Jane been a resident of Salisbury and committed an offense, she would have been summoned before a court in Massachusetts, not Maine.

(2) If Steven Flanders had lived in Salisbury several years before 1650, he would have been obligated to swear allegiance to the Massachusetts Bay Colony before 1651.

(3) Prior to 1650, Steven Flanders did not have land ownership in Salisbury. However, he was granted an acre and a half at that time. The early land distribution policies in Salisbury aimed to attract affluent settlers, while generally excluding men without property or financial resources from settlement through the practice of "warning them out of town."

(4) There is speculation that Steven Flanders initially lived in Gorgeana or York, Maine, before relocating to Salisbury.

(5) The presence of the date 1646 on both the Salisbury Town Records and the Old Norfolk County Records, indicating the birth of a son to Steven Flanders, cannot be regarded as conclusive evidence of Steven's residency in Salisbury during that period. This is because the available evidence indicates that the entries were not made contemporaneously with the recorded event.

(6) Clear evidence has been presented indicating Steven's residence in York, Maine, in 1649, and his subsequent residency in Salisbury, Massachusetts, by 1650. It is likely that Steven Flanders was not a Puritan due to several reasons:

(a) He was associated with the dissenting party.

(b) None of his children became members of the Salisbury church while he was alive, and a majority of his descendants followed different faiths such as Baptist or Methodist.

(c) There are indications suggesting he was not of English descent but rather of Flemish origin, possibly Walloon.

(d) He did not attain the status of a freeman.

Steven Flanders' Flemish heritage appears certain, with available evidence strongly suggesting his birth in the Flemish Netherlands. This conclusion is supported by the following points:

1) Family traditions predominantly indicate his origin in Flanders.

2) His obligation to swear allegiance to the Massachusetts Bay Colony implies foreign origins.

3) Notably, he dated his will using both the old and new calendar systems, a practice consistent with the Netherlands where the new system was employed.

(4) Indications that he was not a Puritan, possibly identifying as Walloon, a group often associated with Baptist beliefs in the Colonies.

(5) His name's spelling with "V," aligning with Flemish and Dutch convention rather than the "PH" used in English and elsewhere.

(6) Additional extensive evidence is detailed in another section of this volume.

He died on June 27, 1684, in Salisbury, part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in British Colonial America, at the age of 64. He was laid to rest in the Salisbury Colonial Burying Ground in Salisbury, Massachusetts.

Regarding the Flanders surname: Research conducted abroad indicates that the Flanders name was exceedingly rare before 1700, leading to a limited number of potential ancestral lines for Steven Flanders. In England, occurrences of the name are primarily found in the eastern region, north of London, and in areas near London, close to the Channel and Belgium. Those in England bearing the surname are often believed to have migrated from Belgium or the historical provinces of Flanders. This assumption is supported by their settlement in regions near the Flemish coast and the presence of various name variations in England, a typical occurrence when a name is introduced into a foreign country. In Belgium and France, aside from sporadic records, the name is primarily associated with Ghent, Belgium, and the vicinity of Lille in northern France. As both Ghent and Lille lie within the historical boundaries of East and West Flanders, it is reasonable to presume that the family's origins are closely tied to these ancient Flemish provinces. In Ghent, the Dutch-influenced form of the name is observed: Van Vlaanderen, while in Lille, the French form, de Flandres, is more prevalent. Due to the scarcity of the name, foreign research on the Flanders surname can be categorized into three main regions: England, Ghent, and Lille.