The Chase Vault

Christ Church · Barbados · Cemetery

Every time the sealed Chase family vault was opened, the heavy lead coffins had been flung into disorder – and no one has ever explained how.

The churchyard of Christ Church Parish Church in Oistins holds the Caribbean's most famous burial mystery. Between 1812 and 1819 the Chase family's masonry vault was opened repeatedly for new interments, and each time the heavy lead coffins lay tossed about, even though the entrance had been sealed with marble and cement. The governor finally had sand strewn on the floor and official seals set on the slab – yet the coffins moved again, without a single footprint in the sand. In 1820 the family gave up, emptied the vault and buried its dead elsewhere. The vault stands open and empty to this day, and the riddle of the moving coffins remains unsolved.

FAQ

Where is The Chase Vault located?

The Chase Vault is in Christ Church, Barbados.