William Hazlet

Haslett Name:
"Spelling variations include: Hazlet, Hazlett, Hazlitt, Hasslet, Hasslett, Hazlit, Haslitt, Hezlit, Hezlitt, Hezlett, Hezlet, Heaslitt, Heaslett, Hazled, Hazelhead, Hasslitt, Aslett, Azlett, Astlett and many more. First found in Surrey where they were anciently seated as Lords of the Manor."

Reaney, P.H., "A Dictionary of British Surnames."
P. 171, Hazlett, Hazlitt, Haslett, Haslitt, Heaslett, Hezlett, Hezlet.
1. John Haselett, 1332. Subsidy Rolls Surrey (Surrey Record Society, 18, 33, 1922-32.
William atte Hasellette 1333 Surrey (M.T. Lofvenberg, "Studies on Middle English Local Surnames" Lund, 1942.) (Dweller by a hazel-copse, as at Haslett Copse in Sussex). (Old English -a postulated form - Haeslett, a common term in Essex, Kent and Surrey.
2. William Heslheved 1421, Register of the Freemen of the city of York (Surtees Soc. 96, 102, 1897-99.
From Hazel head (Lancs, Wiltshire, Rutland, Yorks), or dweller by the hazel-hill, Old English Heafod.
Heredity of Surnames - Surnames of common people are found in the 13th century, and are well established in Sourthern England by the middle of the fourteenth century. In the North surnames become hereditary much later.

Some References: 1. Reaneys Files - Sheffield Univ. Library.
2. Oxford Dictionary of Place Names.
3. Smith, A.H. "English Place-name Elements," 2 volumes 1956.

George Fraser Black, "The Surnames of Scotland, Their Origin, Meaning, and History," Published by New York Public Library, 1946. Page 357, "John Heslet, waulker, burgess of Glasgow 1575." (Burgesses)