Lee Chapel
The first mention of Lee Chapel can be found in the Domesday book of 1086 commissioned
by the then King, William I, also known as William the Conqueror (circa 1028 – 9th September, 1087). The area was referred to as
Leam and fell within the Barstable Hundred. Its name is believed to be of Saxon origin dating from the Anglo-Saxon occupation of
south east England, from the mid 5th century AD to the Norman conquest of 1066. At the time of the 1841 census its total population was recorded as being just 11.
From the 1st January 1937 the Union of Parishes Confirmation Order* (1936) authorising the abolition of the parishes of
Basildon, Bowers Gifford, Great Burstead, Little Burstead, Laindon, Lee Chapel, Nevendon, North Benfleet,
Pitsea, Vange and Wickford came into effect with each parish absorbed into a single Billericay parish.
In 1949 Lee Chapel along with seven of the former parishes: Basildon, Dunton, Laindon, Langdon Hills, Nevendon, Pitsea and
Vange, all within a three mile radius of each other, were bound together to form the designated area of what became the new
town of Basildon. In the process, Lee Chapel, upon which land in 1888 had been bisected following the completion by the London,
Tilbury & Southend Railway Company (LTS) of a new 'direct route' from Barking to Southend-on-Sea via Upminster and Laindon*,
was broken up to form two separate neighbourhoods; these being Lee Chapel North and Lee Chapel South.
Kelly's Directory of Essex, 1894 - entry for Lee Chapel
LEA. CHAPEL (East Lea or Ley, signifying the east pasture) was formerly an extra-parochial district, but is now a parish in
Billericay union, about a mile and a half south from Laindon church; it was formerly a distinct manor and is a chapelry: the ancient
chapel or chantry, is now demolished. The parish contains 480 acres; rateable value, £340; had 15 inhabitants in 1891.
The trustees of the late Major Bailey and the trustees of the late T. C. Swinborne esq. are the impropriators of the tithe and the
latter are principal landowners.
Clark John Benjamin, farmer, Lee Chapel farm
Jackson Thomas, farmer, Lee Woottens
Kelly's Directory of Essex, 1914 - entry for Lee Chapel LEE CHAPEL (East Lea or Ley, signifying the east
pasture) was formerly an extra-parochial district, but is now a parish in Billericay union, about a mile and a half south from
Laindon church; it was formerly a distinct manor and is a chapelry: the ancient chapel or chantry, is now demolished. The
parish contains 475 acres; rateable value, £1,506; had 56 inhabitants in 1911. Part of the parish is reputed to be
extra-parochial for ecclesiastical purposes. Francis Charles, carman
Grays & Tilbury Gas Co. Ltd. ; show room
(Arth. Chas. Ball, dist. foreman)
Jackson Thos. farmer, Lee Chapel frm
Simmons Robert, builder
This article is used in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 UK: England & Wales.
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Notes: 1) The County of Essex, Urban District of Billericay (Union of Parishes) Confirmation Order, 1936.
2) London Tilbury & Southend Railway Act authorising the construction of a more direct rail route to Southend via Upminster
and Laindon received Royal Assent on 24th July 1882. | 
