The Moving Coffins
Perhaps one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of all time concerned an old burial vault that was located on a high, windswept bill overlooking the Caribbean. The mystery occurred at Christ Church, Barbados, near the village of Oistin.
During the days of the slave trade, in the early 1800's, rum and sugar created huge fortunes in the West Indies. Home and government buildings here were constructed on a grand scale by wealthy plantation owners who believed that their displays of power should extend beyond their homes and offices and to their final resting places.
Such was the vault near Christ Church. It was hewn from stone and constructed from coral and concrete. The large stone blocks were firmly cemented together, creating walls that were nearly two feet thick. The floor space inside measured twelve feet by six feet and was reached by several descending steps. The entrance was closed off by a huge slab of blue marble, effectively sealing the vault until it was required to admit another coffin.
It should be carefully noted that there was no way to enter into this tomb, save for the removal of the slab. Regardless, between the years of 1812 and 1820, someone, or something, managed to enter the tomb and wreak havoc on the contents... without leaving a single clue behind. The events were completely inexplicable to the Chase family, who owned the tomb and abandoned it in 1820, and they remain inexplicable today.
The tomb was built in 1724 and even the first burial here remains somewhat of a mystery. It was constructed by a man named James Elliot and on May 14 of that same year, the remains of his wife, Elizabeth, were allegedly placed inside. This is according to records, which also state that the tomb was not re-opened until 1807, when it was found to be empty. What ever became of the body of Elizabeth Effiot it unknown.
In 1807, the Walrond family purchased the vault and body of Mrs. Thomasina Goddard was placed inside.
The Chase family purchased the vault a year after this interment. They were wealthy plantation owners on the island. On February 22, 1808, the vault was opened for the first time by the family to admit the body of Mary Ann Maria Chase, the infant daughter of Thomas Chase. At that time, the Goddard coffin was found to be undisturbed. A few months later, in July, another of the Chase daughters, Dorcas, also died. There was nothing out of the ordinary reported about the vault until August 8, 1812, when it was opened again for the burial of Thomas Chase himself.
A startling sight greeted the mourners and a workman, who had actually been the first to enter the tomb. He cried out when he saw the coffins of the two Chase daughters standing on end against the northeast wall. There was no sign that anyone had entered the vault, or that the door had been disturbed. The children's coffins were placed beside that of Thomasina Goddard, which lay undisturbed. The heavy, lead-enclosed casket belonging to Thomas Chase was then carried inside by eight men and deposited on the floor. The mourners then left and the stone masons cemented the marble slab back into place.
Four years passed and on September 22, 1816, the vault was opened again to admit the small coffin of a boy named Samuel Ames. The stone slab was removed and a vivid memory of four years before immediately sprang to mind. The interior of the vault was in wild disarray. The coffins were scattered about and tipped over, including the immense coffin of Thomas Chase, which was found standing against one wall.
Once again, the vault was sealed, only to be opened again just eight weeks later to admit the body of Samuel Brewster, who had been kified in a slave uprising. The slab was pulled aside and mourners lined the area around the doorway, hoping for a glimpse inside of the now infamous tomb. They discovered another gruesome sight. The coffins were scattered about and stacked on top of one another. Only the original Goddard coffin was undisturbed but in the confusion around it, the old wood had broken apart, scattering her bones onto the floor. They were carefully collected and wrapped and then placed near the wall as the rest of the vault was again organized into some semblance of order.
The unexplained desecration of the tomb caused "great astonishment" on the island, wrote an early chronicler of the events, Sir Robert H. Schombaugh. He wrote that "no signs were observed that the vault had been opened without knowledge of the family". The Chase family naturally launched an inquiry into the events, but nothing could be found. The vault appeared to have been sealed the entire time.
Many of the plantation owners blamed the desecrations on the slaves. It was thought that many of them were restless, as proven by the recent disturbance that had taken the life of Samuel Brewster, and now were vandalizing the graves of their masters. This still did not explain why the door slab showed no signs of being opened.
Others suggested flooding, although there was no indication of this outside of the tomb. In addition, the vault had purposely been constructed on high ground. it was also suggested that earthquakes might have inflicted the damage, hut there was no sign of this in any of the other tombs on the island.
Three years later, the vault was opened again. On July 17, 1819, the body of Thomassina Clarke, another member of the family, was scheduled to be interred there. By now, the weird story of the vault was known all over the island and even attracted the attention of the Governor, Lord Combermere, who went out of his way to make sure he was present for the service. Predictably, the vault was once again disturbed. All of the leaden coffins were tipped over and scattered about. Only the Goddard remains were undisturbed. Thomas Chase's coffin stood against one wall while the others were thrown about the chamber.
The drawings made by Nathan Lucas to show how the coffins appeared in the vault both before and after it was opened. The drawing at left was made in July 1819 and shows the children's coffins stacked on top of the adults. The sketch at right shows the chaos discovered in the vault in April 1820.
Lord Combermere was so fascinated with the mystery that he personally led a search of the tomb. They investigated every inch, looking carefully for secret passages, underground doors or any signs of digging. They finally gave up, stifi finding nothing to explain the phenomenon.
Finally, Miss Clarke's coffin was brought in and all of the coffins were rearranged with those of the adults on the floor and the children's stacked atop them. Then, at Lord Combermere's direction, fine sand was spread on the floor so that if anyone entered the vault, his or her footprints would be seen. The slab was then sealed back into place and the Governor's personal seal was affixed to it in front of witnesses.
In April 1820, Lord Combermere ordered that the vault be opened again. There was no one to be buried at that time, but as he was traveling nearby, he asked the local rector, Reverend T. Orderson, to have it opened for his inspection. According to Nathan Lucas, a witness who was present at the time and who drew "before and after" sketches of the chamber, the coffins were again scattered about.
The cement was broken from the door and then they attempted to remove the slab.
Unfortunately, it refused to budge. It eventually took ten slaves to get the door open and when entry was forced, they discovered what was causing the difficulty. Thomas Chase's huge casket was turned upside-down and was jammed against the marble slab. The other coffins were also strewn about the room but to the amazement of the men who entered the tomb.... not a single footprint marred the sand on the floor!
Shortly after, the Chase family removed their relatives from the vault and it has been abandoned ever since.
What explanation could there be for the moving coffins? Earthquakes? Retreating waters? The restless spirits of those interred within? Obviously, natural explanations have been attempted to explain the bizarre disturbances. However, these explanations were all eliminated decades ago. All that we seem to have left to us is the supernatural.
Author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who embraced the unexplainable, suggested that the disturbances were created by "forces" that reacted to the lead in the Chase family coffins. While it is true that the wooden Goddard coffin was always undisturbed, it has never been quite clear what these "forces" may have been. Doyle suggested that perhaps they were the spirits of the Chase family, unable to pass on to the other side because of the lead chambers.
Sir Arthur also considered the idea that perhaps energy expelled by the workers who moved the heavy coffins into the vault may have been trapped inside when the door was sealed. If this was the case, perhaps this electrical-type energy was able to move the coffins around inside of the vault.
So, what are the answers behind this strange mystery? It is certain that we will never really know for sure and the vault today is not providing any answers. It remains there on Barbados, its black, open mouth swallowing the daylight that attempts to pierce the shadows below. The stone interior is still cool and dry to the touch but nothing rests inside save for the dust of the centuries and the eerie memories of yesterday's strange events.
Copyrights© & Author: Troy Taylor
(Published with special permission, may not be reproduced without
written permission of Author).
