Ancestors are given here.
The ancestors of George Corliss have not been determined. There are several possibilities and some genealogists have gone so far as to link him with others of the same or similar names, but no concrete evidence can substantiate this. One individual even suggests that all New Jersey Corlisses are really Curtises. The name has been spelled in many ways - Corlis, Corles, Corleis, Corlies, Curlis, Curlies, Curlo and undoubtedly other ways. Mr. Monnette suggests that he was the same George Corliss who settled in Haverhill in 1645. But that is illogical as that George Corliss was born in 1617 whereas George Corliss #440 was born about 1654. The most logical father of this George is the George Corliss who was on a list of those receiving "quit-rents in Monmouth County" in 1650, his being for 70 acres and a survey of 80 acres north of the Navesink River. In 1664 Governor Nicholls of New York approved certain Indian sales of land to settlers in New Jersey and had confirmed their titles to tracts in what became known as Elizabethtown, Middleton and Shrewsbury. The area of the lands parceled out to George Corliss was in Shrewsbury. Also a George Corliss was overseer of the Quaker Meeting, in Shrewsbury, when a meeting house was being built in 1672, and frequently was a delegate from it to other meetings. As George Corliss #440 would have been only about 18 at the time, which is indeed young to be assigned those duties, it is most easily assumed that the father of George #440 was the one to whom the references, were made. It is hoped that some day his parentage will be definitely established.

In 1680 he received a grant of land in Shrewsbury, and on 15 May of that year he had an 80 acre tract of land surveyed to him, which could have been the same 80 acres which we assume was surveyed to his father in 1650. He married Exercise Shattuck 10 December 1680 in a Quaker ceremony at the house of her father, William Shattuck of Shrewsbury. In 1686 he received a patent for 70 acres of land, and one for 25 acres more in 1687. In addition on 25 March 1687 he obtained 96-1/2 acres of land adjoining the farm of John Lippincott on the south, at Passequenecque, and a 3-1/2 acre piece of meadow on the Manasquan River.

In 1686 he and William Shattuck were among witnesses at the Quaker marriage of William Worth and Mary Smith, he was also a witness at several other Quaker weddings. on 23 November 1688 he was named one of the executors of the will of his brother-in-law Jacob Coale, husband of his wife's sister Elizabeth. On 3 October 1689 he purchased 130 acres of land in Springfield Township, Burlington County, New Jersey, from Martha Wearne, which he sold to Henry Wells 7 January 1701/2. He inventoried the estate of Ephraim Allen 20 August 1693, and on 26 May 1696 witnessed the will of Lewis Morris. On 31 May 16W he was bondsman for Elizabeth Jackson, who was administrator of the estate of her husband Francis Jackson. On 28 June he witnessed the will of Abigail Lippincott and and on 12 August inventoried her estate. In a deed from William Shattuck in 1698, he is called "loving son-in-law." On 21 March 1698 he inventoried the estate of Elizabeth Jackson, and in the will of Charles Denis dated 14 April 1698 he was named executor. On 23 November 1700 he witnessed the will of John Tilton, Senior, of Middleton, and inventoried his estate on 16 May 1704. On 29 April 1?03 he purchased 170 acres of land from Thomas Hillborn in that part of Shrewsbury between the Mavesink and Shrewsbury Rivers. On 24 February 1703/4 he inventoried the estate of Thomas Potter of Freehold, New Jersey, and on 2 November 1?04 when he was attesting to that inventory, he gave his age as near 50. On 8 February 1711/12 he inventoried the estate of Jedidiah Allen and on 9 November 1712 he witnessed the will of Thomas White of Shrewsbury, taking inventory of his estate three days later.

As can be judged from the large number of services he did for friends and neighbors, witnessing wills, acting as executor and taking inventories, his integrity was highly respected. Being a Quaker and unwilling to swear to an oath, he did not hold public office, and neither did he appear in any Court action. He was classed as a cordwainer (shoemaker) and evidently was well to do financially, and, as a young man had accumulated considerable wealth. He owned many pieces of property, and operated one tie termed his "plantation." In his will there is an item "it is my will that my Executors shall have full power to sell my negro Simon, and put out the money to use for the use of my children and if they see Cause with part of the money to buy a white Servant to manage the plantation if they see it necessary." He died, according to the Shrewsbury Meeting minutes, 10 September 1715, having left a very lengthy and complicated will dated "twenty fifth day of the Sixth month in the year of our Lord 1715" (25 August 1?15). It was witnessed by John and Elizabeth Hance, John Deace and Duncan Gregory, and proved 23 November 1715. He named his loving wife Executrix, and his loving friends Gabriel Stelle, Moses Lippit and George Williams his Executors. In it tie states that lie is "George Corleis of the Town of Sherosbyry and County of Monmouth in the Province of East New Jersey, Cord winder being antiant - - - -“. He parceled out his lands, houses, orchards, livestock, household goods, leather and money to his heirsv mentioning wife Deborah; sons John, William, George, Joseph, Benjamin and Timothy; daughters Elizabeth Brimly and Mary, Deborah and Dina Corlies; Jacob, Exercise, Moses, Zachariah and Patience, children of daughter Hannah Allen, deceased; unborn child, if son a double portion, if daughter a single portion and to be named Hannah; son-in-law Henry Allen.