The earliest documented member of the family is William Saunders (c. 1430 - 1488) of Amersham, a cap-maker and dyer.

Members held political positions in New England, and the family played an integral role in the foundation of Salem, New Hampshire, Lawrence, Massachusetts, and Westerly, Rhode Island.

[3] The village of Saunderstown, Rhode Island, was named in honor of John Aldrich Saunders, who settled there in 1856.

While the company office and sales department was in Boston, the logging operations centered about Livermore, New Hampshire and included the Sawyer River Railroad and a large sawmill.

He was involved in the Grafton County Lumber Company and owned vessels, city real estate, farms, plantations and bank stock to a considerable amount.