Below are photographs of the famous Chase Vault, located in the south-west corner of Christ Church Parish churchyard. Sixty meters from the Church Government school.
Two Chase brothers, who hated each other and had many furious fights during their life-time, were buried with their coffins placed side by side in the vault; and they continued their feud by fighting with their coffins. In spite of the fact that the vault entrance had been sealed, the noises enumerating from it could be distinctly heard outside. This resulted in the church fathers opening the vault on three separate occasions to investigate the cause of the noise. No reason was found to explain the noises heard, however, the coffins were not positioned as they had been laid out; not only had they shifted, but lay smashed.
After the third occasion, Lord Combermere, who was the Governor of Barbados at that time; journeyed by horse and carriage the six miles from Government House and ordered that the coffins be buried separately, one opposite the north-west end of the church yard and other on the southern side of the church yard; leaving the vault empty and open. It has remained in this state down the years.
You can click on the thumbnail images below to see a larger image with captions.
The above extract is taken from:
Seale of Authenticity An Autobiography
Volume 1
1912 – 1942
Nigel Deane Seale © 1996
Below is the original page 1/8/6A
Seale of Authenticity An Autobiography is one of seven volumes of hand typed manuscripts that Nigel Seale wrote. I’ve recently borrowed Volume 1 from a family member and am looking forward to reading the later volumes. As a child growing up in Trinidad I have very fond memories of Mr. Seale – visiting him in the late 1960s early 1970s near Brighton where he was developing prototype hovercraft. His workshop come home was an Aladdin’s cave of inventions.
Additional Reference material
- Wikipedia – Chase Vaults
- AllDay – The Unsolved Mystery Of The Chase Family Vault Continues To Haunt The People Of Barbados
- Awesome Mysteries – The Moving Coffins of Barbados
