Campers History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

During that dark period of history known as the Middle Ages, the name of Campers was first used in France. Many names with Old French origins arrived in Scotland and England in the 11th century with the Norman Conquest. While the patronymic and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the name of the father and mother respectively, are the most common form of a hereditary surname in France, occupational surnames also emerged during the late Middle Ages. Many people, such as the Campers family, adopted the name of their occupation as their surname. However, an occupational name did not become a hereditary surname until the office or type of employment became hereditary. The surname Campers was an occupational name for a servant in the bedroom of a nobleman. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old French word "chambre" which means room, and refers to someone of the title chamberlain, which later came to signify a more administrative office in noble households.

Early Origins of the Campers family

The surname Campers was first found in Denbighshire (Welsh: Sir Ddinbych), a historic county in Northeast Wales, created by the Laws in Wales Act 1536, where they held lands at Llewenne, granted to John de Chambre from the Earl of Lincoln, who was Constable of Chester. John was a "nobelle Normanne who entred Englaunde in ye traine of King Williaume."

One of the earliest records of the family was on the infamous side. John a Chamber or Chamberlayne (d. 1489), was an English rebel, "a knight of great influence in the north, excited the people to join the rebellion headed by Sir John Egremond in Northumberland and Durham against the heavy subsidy of 1489. Henry, Earl of Northumberland, who had orders to enforce the tax, endeavoured to persuade him to cease his agitation. Chamber would not hear him, and on 20 April the earl was slain by the rebels at Cock Lodge, near Thirsk. Then Thomas, Earl of Surrey, was sent to put down the insurrection. He took Chamber and utterly routed the rebels. Chamber was executed at York. " 1

Early History of the Campers family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Campers research. Another 195 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1465, 1472, 1491, 1530, 1546, 1592, 1604, 1609, 1645, 1664, 1691, 1694, 1696, 1702, 1703, 1726, 1775, 1796 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Campers History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Campers Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Chambers, Chalmers, Chamer, Chalmairs, Challmers and others.

Early Notables of the Campers family

Notable among the family at this time was David Chambers, Lord Ormond (1530?-1592), Scottish historian and judge, born in Ross-shire and educated at Aberdeen, where he took orders. Alexander Chalmers (1645-1703) was a Scottish resident of the Polish city of Warsaw, he served as a...
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Campers Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Campers family to Ireland

Some of the Campers family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 214 words (15 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Campers migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Campers Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Camila Campers, aged 22, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1831 2

The Campers Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Spero
Motto Translation: I hope.

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)