Place:Lea, Herefordshire, England

source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names

source: Family History Library Catalog

Lea is a village and civil parish in the southeast of Herefordshire, close to Ross on Wye and adjoining the county of Gloucestershire.

Lea was originally a chapelry in the parish of Linton, but became a separate parish "early". Lea parish had two townships, Lea Upper and Lea Lower (both redirected here), which were merged into the single parish of Lea in 1883.

The township of Lea Lower was part of the parish located in Gloucestershire until 1844 when it was removed to Herefordshire under the Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844. It was previously located in St. Briavels Hundred. The township of Lea Upper was always in Herefordshire.

A Vision of Britain through Time provides the following description of Lea from John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales of 1870-72:

"LEA, a village and a parish in Ross [registration] district, Hereford. The village stands adjacent to the Hereford and Gloucester railway, near Mitcheldean-Road [railway] station, and near the boundary with Gloucestershire, 4¼ miles ESE of Ross; and has a post office under Ross. The parish comprises 702 acres. Real property: £1,271. Population: 226. Houses: 49. The property is divided among a few. The living is a p. curacy in the diocese of Gloucester and Bristol. Value: £68. Patron: the Vicar of Linton. The church is ancient, has a tower and spire, and was recently restored. There are a parochial school, and charities £6.

Research Tips

• Gloucestershire Archives in Gloucester is where paper and microfilm copies of all records for this part of Gloucestershire are stored. Since Lea Lower was transferred to Herefordshire in 1844, parish and civil records after that date will not be available at Gloucester.