Hasling

This interesting name is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is a topographical surname used to denote someone who lived near or by a hazel-copse. The derivation is from the Olde English pre 7th Century "haeslin", "haesling", hazel wood or copse. The word appears frequently as the first element in a number of placenames also, such as Haslingden in Lancashire, "hazel valley", Haslington in Cheshire, "village among hazels", and Heslington in Yorkshire, another "village among hazels". Topographical surname were among the earliest created, since both natural and man-made features in the landscape provided easily recognisable distinguishing names in the small communities of the Middle Ages. The surname can also be found as Haslin, Heslin(g) and Hessling and was first recorded in the latter half of the 13th Century (see below). Listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex are Walter atte Haselyng (1327) and Peter atte Heselyng (1332). On September 18th 1681, Joseph, son of Joseph and Martha Hasling, was christened at the church of St. Giles, Cripplegate, London. A Coat of Arms granted to the Hasling family is red, with an ermine fess embattled between three gold talbots passant, the Crest being an ostrich, in the mouth a broken tilting spear proper. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Robert Hasling, which was dated 1275, in the "Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire", during the reign of King Edward 1st, "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272-1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.