An ambry was a cupboard with closed doors.

This was generally the most substantial piece of furniture in a Cumbrian yeoman's house, and would have been placed in the parlour where the main fire was also. As such, it would have been relatively free of damp and used for the storage of linen and the like and for items of value.

It was viewed as a prestige item, and oftened mentioned in wills (usually just as the 'cupboard'). Indeed, its bequest can be used partially to show who the heir to a property was.

See also: Husbandry Gear