John Cass came to Hampton and married Martha, daughter of Thomas Philbrick, Sen., before 1650. On the 4th of January, 1650, they had seats assigned them in the meeting-house. In 1653, his tax was 9s. 10d.; whole amount raised, £53 2s. lOd. October 15, 1657, he and William Fuller were "chosen to lay out the highway towards Strawberry Bank to the extent of our bounds, as convenient as may be, which they have done according to their discretion." At this time he lived on the Portsmouth road, between Lane's Corner and the former site of the Methodist meeting-house. Soon after he moved south of Taylor's river. December 14, 1669, the road by his house was viewed by Lieutenant Swett and Nathaniel Weare and altered. In 1651, he drew one share in the ox commons. March 3, 1670, he drew share No. 41 in the commons containing one hundred acres. April 5, 1664, he bought Rev. John Wheelwright's farm, which the town formerly granted Rev. Stephen Bachiler, and situated in what is now the town of Seabrook. He and his wife were both members of Rev. Seaborn Cotton's church in 1671. He was one of the selectmen in 1653, 1657, 1668, 1671, and 16To. He died suddenly in his bed, April 7, 1675. His will was proved April 13, 1675. The witnesses were Thomas and Samuel Philbrick and Joseph Dow. The estate was appraised by Joseph Dow and Edward Gove, and valued at £940 11s.; debts, £96 17s. 6d. This property was of more value than that of any person who died in Hampton prior to 1680. His widow, Martha, died before 1696.
The Hon. Lewis Cass, born in Exeter October 9, 1782, a United States senator from Michigan, and a member of President Buchanan's cabinet, was a lineal descendant of the above John Cass. The name of Cass appears upon our records until 1767, when it disappears. Probably all living in the town at that time were in the limits of what was afterward Seabrook.