The Chase Vault is a mysterious underground mausoleum in Barbados where a series of unexplained events took place in the early 19th century. The vault was designed to hold the bodies of the Elliott family, but none of them were ever buried there. Instead, it was sold to the Chase family, who buried several family members inside. However, each time the vault was opened to add a new body, the coffins were found to be in disarray, with some even stacked on top of each other. Despite numerous investigations, no logical explanation was ever found for the strange occurrences, leading to speculation about possible supernatural or conspiratorial explanations. The vault was eventually abandoned, and the mystery remains unsolved to this day.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The event took place in the 18th century on the island of Barbados.
2. The Elliott family bought a large plot in the cemetery of the Church of Christ.
3. They hired architects and sculptors to prepare marble works and designed an underground entrance.
4. The underground entrance led to a large chamber where they could deposit the remains of their loved ones.
5. The first person to be buried in the vault was Tomasina Godard, a friend of the Elliott family, in 1807.
6. The Elliott family sold the plot to the James family in 1808.
7. Lord Thomas Chase, the leader of the James family, was known for his bad character and mistreatment of slaves.
8. The James family used the vault for their burials, but none of the coffins remained in their original positions.
9. On February 22, 1808, the body of a 2-year-old girl named Meo Jan Thomas was buried in the vault.
10. Five years later, the body of a young man named Dorcas was buried in the vault.
11. In 1812, the vault was opened again to find that the coffins had been moved and were in disarray.
12. The same thing happened in 1816 when the vault was reopened to bury Charles, an 11-year-old boy.
13. In 1819, the body of Tomasín Clark was deposited inside the vault, and the coffins were mixed up again.
14. On April 18, 1820, the vault was reopened to examine the condition of the coffins, and they were found to be in disarray.
15. The coffins were eventually moved from the vault, and the site was abandoned.
16. Many English experts visited the site to examine it, and books were written about the mystery.
17. To this day, no one has found a logical explanation for the events that took place in the vault.