Barbados: Christ Church Parish Church
The original church was built in 1629 and was located near Dover Beach. In consequence of a flood the church was destroyed as coffins and bones from the adjoining cemetery were scattered across the beach.
Moving to higher ground the second and third structures were both destroyed by hurricanes in 1780 and again in 1786. Not to be discouraged , the members again built a new church which was destroyed by fie in 1935. The present structure built mainly out of stone seems to be impregnable and should be able to withstand any disaster that may befall upon it. The church is a magnificent structure and beautifully designed.
It was a last minute decision to visit this church, the tour we had originally planned taking while visiting this beautiful island aboard a cruise ship was booked. While not impressed as we entered the parking lot, it soon became a highlight of our cruise.The interior of the church is beautiful and with the mild breezes normally found on the island it was quite comfortable. One almost wished that services would start soon so we could linger here a while longer.
The church is most widely known for its churchyard which contains the notorious Chase Vault, in which coffins mysteriously have moved around within the sealed vault.
Often called the case of the moving coffins, the Chase family crypt in Barbados was the location of an unusual haunting. During the years of 1812 to 1820, the six solid lead coffins were found thrown around the sealed solid rock crypt after people reported hearing strange sounds coming from inside. Each time the crypt was opened, the coffins were put back to their original locations and sealed again. After conducting a test in 1819 in which the coffins were again placed in their original positions, an additional slab that took four men to move was placed in front of the crypt.
In April of 1820, a noise was again heard from the sealed crypt,the crypt was again reopened and the coffins were again found in disarray. After this final time , the coffins were ordered removed and buried in the adjoining cemetery.
A few years ago an enterprising tourist decided to take a souvenir home with them. Upon arriving home many misfortunes befell them, finally in desperation the souvenir was returned to the crypt and the misfortunes instantly ceased.
