Cumberland Families and Heraldry
C.Roy Huddleston, F.S.A. &
R.S.Boumphrey, M.A.

CHAMBER(S), of Raby Cute. 
Pedigrees of the Chamber(s) family are in CW2 i. One branch was of 
Wolsty Castle, Thomas Chamber holding the estate in 1525-38, and 
Robert Chamber in 1634. Raby Cote was held by Thomas Chamber 
(d. 1523) who is said to have been brother of Robert, Abbot of Holm 
Cultram. The property descended to Thomas Chamber (d. 1619) who marr. 
1574 Anne Musgrave, who was murdered by Robert Beckwith 1586. He marr. 
(2) Jane, widow of Fergus Graham, of Nunnery, and had a son John, 
who was succ. 1655 by William Chamber (b. 1615), son of his sister 
Florence, who marr. Thomas Chamber, of Hertlawe, a distant cousin. 
His grandson Arthur Chamber surrendered Raby Cute 1732. A pedigree of 
six generations of a younger branch, settled at Knowhill, ends with 
George Chambers (d. 1764, aged 86) who left a dau. Frances, marr.. .. 
Reed, and another dau. who marr. James Edwards. 
Arms. Argent a chevron Azure between three trefoils slipped Gules. 
Crest. A boar passant muzzled lined and collared Or (LMC). Field gives: 
A bear passant Sable muzzled collared and chained Or (FAC). Robert 
Chamber, or Chambers, Abbot of Holm Cultram, used for Arms:
Quarterly, 1, . . . a cross moline . . ;  2 & 3, In chief a mitre 
surmounting a pastoral staff between the letters R C and in base a 
chained bear (Shields at Raby Cote). 
Rebus. A bear chained to a pastoral staff enfiled with a mitre 
(Carvings at Holm Cultram). George Chambers, of Knowbill (d. 1764), 
see above, used for Arms: . . . in front of a post and chained 
thereto a bear collared (ABD).