William Neff, III

GEDCOM Note

From "The Descendancy of William Neff..", Second Generation Section:"No record of his marriage has been found, and only two incidents inconnection with him in the army. He went into the regular armyaccording to an incident in the Records of the Courts of Assistants,Colony of Massachusetts Bay, 1630-1692, Vol. I. Pages are devoted tothe trial of various men involved but William was acquitted of guiltin the affair and set free. It seems that the ketch, Nary of Salem,was boarded at Falmouth in ?Martyn's vinyard sound' by Thomas Poundand others. They ran up ?red Flaggs from the masthead' and robbed theboat, committing an act of piracy. Court ?Adjourned to Munday the20th of January instant 1689 at one o'clock and then met.' ThomasDarforth Esq., Deputy Governor presided. ?William Neffe beingimprisoned upon accusation for deserting their Maties Garrison atFalmouth where he was posted a private Centinel, and confederatingwith Thomas Pound Thomas Hawkins in their piracy, said Neffe appearingin Court and it being certified that he was enticed and deluded awayfrom the Garrison by his Corporal And that he tooke the firstOpportunity to leave the pirates, Escaping from them and applyedhimselfe to the next Magistrate. The Court discharged him He payingfor a Gun which he had of the Countrys Store and saith he disposed ofit for his Support.' Court ?Adjourned to Thursday the 23rd ofJanuary instant at nine in the morning and then met.Æ It was orderedthat ?Thomas Pound, Thomas Hawkins, Thomas Johnston William Coward andEleazer Buck, five of the condemned prisonrs sentenced to be hanged bytheir neckes, ?be executed on Munday next the twenty.' In theDocumentary History of Maine, Vol. 5, there is an account of anexpedition to Maine, by boat, which was ambushed by the Indians onAug. 7th, 1691. ?A list of men killed and wounded in ye late ExpedytynEstward vizt' includes the name ?William Neff' without specifyingwhether he was killed or wounded, but since no further record has beenfound of him, it is assumed that he was killed.

Bill