Thanks for the reply, Jenny.
Your research interested me a great deal.
My Lappages are from the area to the south of Colchester - mostly Copford, Birch, Layer Marney, Fordham - although there are a few who migrated to the Maldon area.
They seem to have arrived via Stanway which is now a suburb of Colchester. As the crow flies, it is just 12 miles to Layham but it might as well be Australia!
I'm convinced of the link. The marriage of the first John Lappage in my tree has his discribed as 'of Stanway' which means he lived there but wasn't necessarily born there.
I am going to the records office in Chelmsford next month so, hopefully, I can get this problem resolved. I may also find the link between the Brightlingsea lot and the Colchester Lappages.
Kind regards - Sue