The parish of Alphamstone extends northward from Pebmarsh, and is fifteen miles in circumference; distant from Halstead four , and from London fifty miles . It occupies a hilly situation , and the soil is of various kinds, generally forming good land, on a clay bottom. * The name is believed to have been from Alpham, or Alfem, a Saxon proprietor.

Part of the lands belonged to the abbey of St. Edmundsbury, and the other portion was in the possession of Richard Fitz-Gilbert , at the time of the survey; afterwards they were divided into four manors . Bures hamlet is reckoned part of this parish , but is rated distinctly to the land-tax .

The manor of Alphamstone has the mansion near the church; it is named Clees, from an ancient owner. The abbot and convent of St. Edmundsbury were lords of this part of the parish, who held it under the honour of Clare: and their under tenants were the families of Fitz-Jeffries, Clees , and Cressener : it came to the Payne family in 1540.

Sir Thomas Payne, of Market Bosworth, was the father of William , who had five daughters and seven sons; of these , the eldest was Edward Payne, Esq . the first of the family who had possession of this estate .

He was succeeded by his son Henry , whose two sons were , Henry , who had this manor with other estates , and Thomas , who had Little Henny . On the death of Henry Payne , the eldest son , in 1606 , he left by his wife Susan , daughter of William Beriff , of Aldham Hou , two daughters , Tabitha and Susan , † the latter of whom died young ; and the elder was married to Samuel Bigg , descended from John Bigg, of Ridgwell , in the reign of Henry the Sixth , and whose grandson was owner of Barwick Hall , in Toppesfield .

Samuel Bigg, on his death, in 1639, left an only son, Samuel, who married Barbara, daughter of George Watts, of Norwich, by whom he had many children, who all died before their father, except William, who was a lawyer, settled at Lamarsh, and Jemima, who was married to John Bruce, Esq