The Moving Coffins

The Chase Vault in Barbados’s Christ Church Parish is one of the strangest mysteries in Caribbean history. Between 1812 and 1820, heavy lead coffins repeatedly moved inside the sealed vault, despite no sign of entry or natural cause.

The Vault

Chase family tomb:

• Christ Church Parish Cemetery
• Oistins, Barbados
• Cut into rock
• Sealed marble slab
• Family burial site

First Disturbance

July 17, 1812:

• Vault opened
• For new burial
• Previous coffins moved
• No sign of entry
• Mystery begins

The Coffins

Heavy lead:

• 240 pounds each
• Multiple coffins
• Leaden material
• Difficult to move
• Would take several men

Thomas Chase

Family head:

• Buried August 9, 1812
• Vault opened again
• Coffins moved again
• Including his wife’s
• Pattern established

The Pattern

Each opening:

• Coffins repositioned
• Some upended
• No water damage
• No flooding
• Inexplicable

Governor’s Investigation

Lord Combermere:

• Governor of Barbados
• Personally investigated
• Sealed vault with sand
• His seal applied
• Scientific approach

The Test

Precautions taken:

• Sand spread on floor
• Would show footprints
• Seal unbroken
• Multiple witnesses
• Controlled experiment

1820 Opening

Final check:

• Seal intact
• Sand undisturbed
• Coffins moved again
• Some standing upright
• Complete mystery

Possible Explanations

Theories proposed:

• Flooding (no evidence)
• Earthquakes (others unaffected)
• Gas buildup
• Deliberate hoax
• Supernatural

The Abandonment

Decision made:

• Vault emptied
• Coffins buried elsewhere
• Vault left empty
• Never used again
• Mystery unsolved

The Witnesses

Who documented:

• Governor himself
• Church officials
• Family members
• Credible observers
• Multiple occasions

Physical Reality

The challenge:

• Heavy coffins
• Multiple people needed
• Sealed vault
• No entry marks
• Seemingly impossible

Modern Interest

Continuing debate:

• Researchers study
• Various theories
• No consensus
• Historic mystery
• Still discussed

Local Legend

In Barbados:

• Famous story
• Tourist interest
• Historic site
• Cultural heritage
• Enduring mystery

Significance

Well-documented mystery with government investigation, repeated phenomena, and no satisfactory explanation.

Legacy

The Chase Vault represents one of history’s most perplexing mysteries—heavy coffins moving repeatedly inside a sealed tomb, witnessed by governors and documented officially, yet never explained.