The Mysterious ‘Chase Vault,’ Where Coffins Refused to Stay Put

The mysterious Chase Vault, the crypt where coffins refuse to stay put. On the island of Barbados sits the quaint Christ Church parish. It's much like any other church, complete with a quiet graveyard, the final resting place for many of the island's inhabitants. However, not all of its residents are at rest. One tomb called the Chase Vault is anything but at rest. Before we continue, please subscribe to our channel Just Strange The Chase Vault has been the centre of one of the island's most chilling and sinister mysteries. The vault itself is majestic, with carved stone and coral, and has concrete walls over two feet thick. At the entrance is a massive blue slab of marble that seals the tomb. The Chase Vault was originally built for a James Elliot in 1724, however he was never buried there. The first body to be entombed while Elliot owned the crypt was that of Miss Thomasina Goddard on July 13, 1807. In 1808, the island's notorious Chase family acquired the vault. Colonel Thomas Chase, the head of the wealthy family, was set to be the most hated man on the island, and treated his staff and slaves with brutality. He chose not to disturb Goddard's wooden coffin, and allowed her to stay within the vault. Unknown to Colonel Thomas, Miss Goddard would not be alone for long within the tomb. On February 22nd, the same year it was acquired, the door of the tomb was opened. Mary Anne Maria Chase, the youngest of the family, had died at two years of age. Mary Anne's coffin, which was made of tin, was placed beside Miss Goddard's undisturbed coffin. The Chase Vault doors were then closed again with the big marble door, and sealed with cement. Just a few years later, the vault was reopened to allow another family member to be entombed. In a tragic and almost sinister turn of events, Mary Anne's older sister, Dorcas Chase, had died under mysterious circumstances on July 6th, 1812. It was rumoured that Dorcas had been abused by her father, and had committed suicide by starving herself to death. She was then placed within the vault, also in a heavy lead casket, which took several people to haul down into the darkness. However, death was not done within this family just yet. Just weeks after the burial of Dorcas, her father, Thomas Chase, had died in August. His cause of death was also reportedly suicide. His body was also placed in a coffin made of lead, and was so heavy it took several men to carry it. It was then taken to the Chase Vault. However, when the vault was opened, what the mourners saw left them shocked and disturbed. The funeral party was horrified to find both Mary and Dorcas' coffins have been disturbed and seemingly violently thrown about. Dorcas' coffin now rested against the far wall standing on end, with his head downward. Mary Anne's coffin has also been moved against the wall. With no evidence of human tampering with the sealed vault, it was not immediately obvious how the heavy metal caskets had been violently thrown about. Even though the heavy marble slab used to seal the place had not been moved, the authorities assumed vandals had caused the disturbance. Despite the mystery, the two coffins were placed back in their original places, and then the body of Colonel Chase was added to the orderly pile. The Chase Vault was resealed even tighter than it had been before to deter any future break-ins. The authorities had no explanation on how the vandals had managed to casually toss about lead coffins that took eight men to lift. Little did the authorities know, this was just the beginning. The vault was reopened four years later on September 25, 1816, for 11-month-old Samuel Brewster Ames, a Yarn Chase relative. Once again, upon unsealing the dark tomb, mourners were greeted by coffins tossed around the room, some stacked on others. Again, there were no signs of tampering with the entrance. The caskets were returned to their original positions, and the vault was again resealed. According to the book The People's Ammonack, one woman in the graveyard had heard some frightening sounds coming from the Chase tomb. So frightening were the sounds, her horse began foaming at the mouth. A few days after the report, several horses in the area went insane, throwing themselves down into the bay. The story of the Chase Vault had spread around the island, and it was due to be opened on November 17, 1816, for Samuel Brewster, the father of the infant. Brewster, who had been murdered by his vengeful slaves, was exhumed from his original burial place and was to be re-entered inside the Chase Vault. Again, the coffins were found to have been tossed around. The coffins were once again placed in their original positions, and the vault was resealed and forgotten. However, the stories began to spread of the mysterious activity. So when the vault was due to be opened on July 17, 1819, for the body of Thomasina Clarke, the local authorities were present to witness the event. They were not disappointed. The strange activities had now attracted the attention of the island's inhabitants and officials who attended Thomasina Clarke's interment in huge numbers. Reverend Alderson of Christchurch, along with the governor of Barbados at the time, Lord Cumbermere, arrived to officiate this interment. Coffins were once again found to be thrown in disorder, moved considerably from their original positions. However, this time there was one coffin that was not out of place, the wooden coffin of the original occupant, Thomasina Goddard. However, it had sustained so much damage from the coffins, it had splintered and was falling apart as if it had been squeezed, and Miss Goddard's skeleton was also seen sticking out of it. Lord Cumbermere ordered an extensive inspection of the tomb, looking for anything to explain the strange happenings. The governor's wife explained, In my husband's presence, every part of the floor was sounded It was found to be perfectly firm and solid, no crack was even apparent. The walls, when examined, proved to be perfectly secure, no fracture was visible, and the sides together with the roof and flooring presented a structure so solid as if formed of entire slabs of stone. Then the new mortar was relayed so as to secure the door. When the masons had completed their task, the governor made several impressions in the mixture with his own seal, and many of those attending added various private marks on the wet mortar. The chaste vault remained sealed for eight months. However, reports of voices and unexplained sounds emanating from within the tomb got the better of the governor. In April of 1820, the governor ordered the vault opened for inspection. When he arrived, to his relief, the mortar seal was unbroken with the ring impression still intact. There were no signs of trespassing. However, when the vault was opened, it immediately became apparent that something was wrong. The door to the tomb was stuck on something. More help was called in an effort to force the door open. Mysteriously, Thomas Chay's coffin had been thrown up against the marble entrance as if it was an attempt to prevent entry. Once the heavy coffin had finally been dislodged and they had gained entry, what they found inside completely shocked everyone who entered. The coffins had once again been thrown around, however, this time was clearly more violent than before. Coffins were upended and tossed upon each other, Mary Anne's coffin had been smashed against the wall with such force that a portion of it had broken off the corner. The side of Dorcas Chay's coffin had broken away, revealing a skeletal arm seemingly to be reaching out. The white sand on the floor was completely undisturbed. There was also no sign of flooding or any other disturbance. It also seemed unlikely that a person could have gotten past the large coffin that was blocking the door. After witnessing such a forbidding and bizarre sight, the governor decided to put an end to the phenomenon once and for all. He ordered the interred bodies to be buried separately in individual graves throughout the Christchurch Parish Cemetery. The Chay's vault itself was ordered to remain vacant and no further bodies were even buried there. Some had speculated that the Chay's vault never existed, however, I can assure you the Chay's vault does indeed exist and records also show a Chay's family did in fact reside in Barbados at the time. The most convincing evidence of all is that the vault still exists to this day, empty and has been for almost 200 years. Oddly, no one has tempted fate by allowing their family members to be buried there again.