[WorldUrbanLegend] The Mysterious Moving Coffins of Barbados
Chase Vault is a burial area located in the Christ Church Parish cemetery in Oistins, Barbados, best known for the urban legend of the "mysterious moving coffins." According to the legend, in 1808, 1812, 1816, and 1819, every time the sealed marble vault was opened for the burial of family members, the positions of all the lead coffins had changed. However, the truth of this story remains unverified, and investigations suggest that no actual events underpinning the legend exist.
The story was first published in 1833 in "Transatlantic Sketches" by General James Edward Alexander. Alexander recounted that after Mrs. Goddard was buried in the vault in 1807, young Ann Maria Chase, aged 2, was buried there in 1808, followed by her sister Dorcas Chase, aged 12, in 1812. When the vault was opened at the end of 1812 to inter their father, Thomas Chase, the coffins of the Chase sisters were found "in a confused state, as if thrown about." Alexander noted that when the vault was opened again, "all four lead coffins were very heavy and significantly disordered," with similar confusion observed during openings in 1816 and 1819.
Each time the vault was opened, the coffins were placed back in order, with three lying side by side on the floor and the others above them. The vault was regularly sealed, and the massive stone door (which required six or seven men to move) was fixed in place with cement by stonemasons. Although the floor was sandy, there were no footprints or signs of water. The last opening of the vault in 1819, attended by the Governor of Barbados, Lord Combermere, revealed that the coffins were in disarray, some upside down and others right side up. What could have caused this phenomenon? No similar incidents had been reported in other vaults on the island. Could it have been due to an earthquake, or perhaps flooding within the vault?
The story has appeared in various forms over the years, with further accounts published in 1844 and 1860.
According to author Jerome Clark, the tale of Chase Vault seems to originate from an anecdote relayed by Thomas H. Orderson, the rector of Christ Church in the 1800s. Orderson provided "contradictory explanations," and each account had its variations. Clark notes that the story was reiterated in Alexander's 1833 work and also appeared in the "Anecdote Gallery" section of Reuben Percy’s "The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction."
Clark argues that most of the tales surrounding Chase Vault can be traced back to one of Orderson's explanations, and Scottish folklorist Andrew Lang confirmed various versions of Orderson’s accounts in a 1907 article in the Folk-Lore Journal. Lang reviewed existing documents to ascertain the authenticity of the Chase Vault story but found no supporting evidence in the burial registers of Christ Church or in contemporary newspapers from Barbados. He did, however, mention an unpublished primary report by Nathan Lucas, who claimed to be present when the vault was opened in April 1820. The governor ordered that the remains be reburied in different plots, and the vault was sealed and empty thereafter.
The tale of the moving coffins garnered significant attention in Victorian society. Arthur Conan Doyle speculated that animal magnetism might have been involved in the incident.
Skeptical investigator Joe Nickell and folklorist Benjamin Radford pointed out that significant details of the story vary depending on the source, and Lucas's missing account was likely attributed to another unverified source. This indicates a lack of direct eyewitness testimony. The absence of mention of this incident in modern sources from the island raises questions about the foundational elements of the story. In 2011, Radford examined the inside of the vault and noted that the bricks were undamaged, indicating no harm from moving coffins.
Nickell describes the Chase Vault story as "historically dubious," suggesting that the person who created the Barbados tale may have been familiar with a fable about Masonic "secret vaults." According to Masonic texts, these vaults symbolize death in ancient mysteries and are places where only divine truths can be discovered. Nickell noted that two men mentioned in the Chase Vault story were members of ancient free and accepted Masonry, and a similar tale about "restless coffins" circulated in 1943, specifically referencing the founders of Freemasonry in Barbados. He pointed out that the Chase Vault narrative is filled with symbols and phrases recognizable to Masons.
Radford classifies the Chase Vault tale as one among many legends of moving coffins from around the world, noting several earlier examples preceding the Barbados incident. He describes it as "a version of a broader range of moving coffin legends infused with Masonic fables," concluding that there is no evidence anyone intentionally fabricated or deceived regarding the story. Instead, he emphasizes that people naturally reconstruct "real stories" when they hear a good tale, adding emphasis or elements based on their beliefs and intentions.
