General Notes

William Neff appears first in the Court Records May 6, 1658 in Newbury, at which time he was working for John Knight, one of the first settlers at Newbury, who was licensed to run an Inn. Joseph Muzzey also worked at the Inn altho he had inherited a farm from his father. The Court Records show William lived at John Knight's house and altho he is referred to as his servant in one case, William was free to come and go for social affairs and on other jobs, so he could not have been a Bond Servant. The cases also show him to have been a hard working man and of an independent spirit.
On May 14, 1663, William Neff was made the Town Herdsman of Newbury, a position of importance and trust, as horses and cattle were of very great value and scarcity at that date. [Research of Bill Prokasy, WorldConnect]
"Descendants of William Neff Who Married Mary Corliss January 23, 1665 Haverhill, Massachusetts", by Dorothy Neff Curry (CS71.N383 1958 NEHGS)

"The herdsmen's covenant: Agreed May 14, 1663 between the selectmen and William Neph, that the latter is to spend his whole time this somer, and to do his utmost endeavor to keep up the townes dry cattell and horses out of the cow commons, and to search the severall comons as there shalbe need, to cleare the dry cattell and horses out of the same, and also the hedge first being amended, the said William is to amend such gappa as he shall find in the hedge, and thus to continue as long as the selectmen shall see meet, and when they shall appoint, he shall bring downs all the cattell and horses also, the first time it is agreed that the said cattell shalbe brought unto their places, for the said William to take them to Granell Hill, at the pound, at John Bartlet's bane and at Goodman Pilsbury where the said William is to attend & drive them up. And the said William is to have for his labour 15 shillings pr weeke, one halfe in english corns and the other half e in Indian. The which the said William is to demand it of the severall persons which are the owners of the cattell at the end of the time, and if it be not ready he is to appoint them where to pay it in the towns, as at Abraham Tappans & Richard Doles houses, within 10 days following and if payment be not made the said William is to sue the said owners that do not pay and the selectman is to assist him in it what is meet." [Research of Anthony Somerby]
"Essex County Court Records"; III:126-7

On January 23, 1665, William Neff married Mary Corliss at Haverhill, Massachusetts. George Corliss gave them a farm from his extensive land holdings and William built a house on it. His name is on a list of those who had already built new houses on the common or their own land, dated 1668. Here William and Mary had six children, five boys and a daughter Mary.
People in those days saw little "hard money" and what they had was hoarded against a very special occasion. In order to buy articles of food or clothing, farm implements, etc. which could not be made at home, William, like other settlers, paid in goods. From the wonderful white oak trees he chopped down to clear farm land, he made "white oak pipe staves," "White oak hogshead staves and hogshead heading 2 ft. 3 in. in length"; also "cedar clapboards" all delivered at the Haverhill Landing. Other items of trade were wheat and pork. One interesting list of purchases in 1678 was: "2 yds holland lls; stokins 9s; 2 Hatte p. Jno. Adkinson 9s 8d; Thread and Cooten 8s 9d; 174 pd. sugar 10s 4d; cotten wooll 15s 3d; total 3 li:4s.' William loved horses and bred and sold them, as did a number of his descendants.
In June 1683, a town meeting discussed once more the question of replacing the Meeting House which was too small for the increasing population and was also in poor condition. Apparently all agreed a new church was needed but 15 voted to tear down the present Meeting House and re-build on the same site, while 34, including William Neff and his father-in-law, George Corliss, voted to use the building they had until a new Meeting House could be built on a new site.
In February of 1688/9, William was drafted for the army by the much-hated Governor Andros and went with a party of men to Maine and died at Pemaquid. At this time his youngest son, Thomas, was only 12. Thomas and his older brother John, according to family tradition, settled in Pennsylvania and Delaware".
[Research of Bill Prokasy, WorldConnect]
"Descendants of William Neff Who Married Mary Corliss January 23, 1665 Haverhill, Massachusetts", by Dorothy Neff Curry (CS71.N383 1958 NEHGS)