The current Christ Church Parish Church located in Oistins

Oistins

The coastal town of Oistins is an area located in the country of Barbados. Situated in the southern portion of the parish of Christ Church, Oistins operates mostly as a fishing village and a tourist hang out, and is the location of the parish church for Christ Church...

, Christ Church, Barbados

Barbados

Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...

 was built in 1935 and is the fifth parish church

Church of England parish church

A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...

 on the site. At various times the previous structures have all been destroyed by natural disasters including flood, fire or hurricanes.

The original Parish church structure was built in 1629 and was located near Dover Beach. In 1669 the church was destroyed by a flood, which scattered coffins and bones from the church cemetery across the beach.

The next church constructed was destroyed in the hurricane of 1780. Another Parish Church was built in 1786 and was again destroyed by the 1831 hurricane. The new church was then destroyed by fire in 1935.

The church is known for its churchyard which contains the notorious Chase Vault

Chase Vault

The Chase Vault is a burial vault in the cemetery of the Christ Church Parish Church in Oistins, Christ Church, Barbados. It is best known for a widespread but unverified story of "unexplained incidents" in the early 19th century involving the coffins within the vault...

, in which coffins mysteriously have moved around within the sealed vault. A detailed investigation by the Governor of Barbados and members of his staff was made in 1820 but it offered no explanation and the coffins were eventually each buried separately after further recurrences. Today visitors are able to visit the vault at the church site.

External links

• Christ Church Parish Church - Official website
• History of the Christ Church Parish Church
• The Diocese of Barbados (For the Parish of Christ Church)