Place Name
Laid out in 1792, Hackney Terrace was renamed Cassland Road in 1845, after local resident and wealthy merchant Sir John Cass (February 1661 – July 5, 1718), who bequeathed land and money to establish the Sir John Cass Foundation. Originally from the City his family moved to the then rural Hackney in 1665 to escape the plague. Cass was a major figure in the early development of the slave trade and the Atlantic slave economy, directly dealing with slave agents in the African forts and in the Caribbean. In 1858 the Cass Estate asked tenants of Cassland Crescent to contribute towards enclosing the garden and sought tenders for iron railings. It is thought that the lawns, lime and London plane trees date from that time. The Cass connection continues in three streets named after former treasurers of the foundation following his death. See Annis Road, Christie Road and Gascoyne Road, all in E9.
