William DANFORTH, born in 1641, was living in Ipswich, MA by June 1660 and in the Byfield parish area of Newbury before 1675. On January 9, 1675 he received 2 shillings, 6 pence from the town of Newbury "for killing a wolf".

In 1678, he took the Oath of Allegiance with other men of Newbury. Then, in March 1681, William was called into court along with William LONGFELLOW, the ancestor of the poet Henry Wadsworth LONGFELLOW, for slaughtering "an oxe and some piggs" claimed by Joseph PLUMER and Robin ROBINSON "the Scotchman".

The court ruled in favor of Plumer and Robinson, so William and his associates paid them the value of the animals in question. William married first to Hannah KINSMAN (1644-Oct 1678) on Mar 20, 1670 at Ipswich, MA and secondly to Sarah THURLO, the daughter of Francis, before January 1679/80.

The last known mention of William in Newbury records was in connection with a deed dated Mar 27, 1721.