John Corliss, like his father, was a Quaker and a member of the Friends Society at Shrewsbury, N.J. In a Quaker marriage 2 February 1707/8 one of the witnesses was Naomi Edwards who later became his wife. The date of his marriage is not known and in the Friends Records at Shrewsbury a space is left for filing the names of his children, but none were entered. His name is first found in the records when he witnessed the will of Samuel Dennis on 4 May 1715, and the next entry is on 28 January 1828/9 when he witnessed the will of Henry Harrison. On 13 January 1731/2 he signed the marriage certificate of his brother William at Shrewsbury. On 20 October 1739 he was bondsman for the settlement of the estate of his brother Benjamin. A note in the minutes of the "Men's monthly meeting of the Friends Society" of 2 March 1743 reads "John Corleis was to be visited for drinking to excess," which could have referred to this John Corliss or his son John. He transferred some property to his son John on 24 May 1745.

His plantation and home were located on Rumson Neck, between the Navesink and Shrewsbury Rivers. Records show that a John Corlies declared his intentions of marriage to Patience Tilton on 4 October 1?56, but there is no record of the marriage. This could not have referred to his son John whose wife Zilpah didn't die until 1802 at the age of 88. It could have been another John Corliss from outside Shrewsbury, or even his grandson, and still he could have taken another wife at the ripe old age of 74.

The dates of death of John Corliss or his wife Naomi are not known. She was flourishing on 13 September 1739 when she was witness at a Quaker marriage in Shrewsbury.