gna §, No 22., May 31. °56.] 
NOTES AND QUERIES. 
435 
A “ Paalstab.” — What is a paalstab ? X. 
[In Worsaae’s Primeval Antiquities of Denmark trans- 
lated, &c., by Thoms, on a passage at p. 25., which speaks 
of Paalstabs as instruments of bronze “from three to nine 
inches in length, of the shape of a chisel expanded to- 
wards the edge,” we have the following note: 
“This term Paalstab was formerly applied in Scan- 
dinavia and Iceland to a weapon used for battering the 
shields of the enemy, as is shown by passages in the 
‘Sagas. Although not strictly applicable to the instru- 
ment in question, this designation is now so generally 
used by the antiquaries of Scandinavia and Germany, 
that it seems desirable, with the view of securing a fixed 
terminology, that it should be introduced into the Arche- 
ology of England.” ] 
Replies. 
QUEEN OF BOHEMIA’S JEWELS. 
(i S. xii. 494. ; 2978. i. 195.) 
I now send the result of some additional in- 
formation I have obtained since my last commu- 
nication. These jewels were the subject of a 
litigation in the Court of Session in Scotland, in 
1665,* from the reports of which it appears that 
Col. Cunningham was in possession of them in 
1636, when, on the occasion of his return to 
Germany, he gave them in charge to Mr. James 
Aikenhead, advocate, who granted an obligation 
to restore them, according to an inventory which 
he made out. Soon after going abroad, he drew 
bills on Aikenhead, who honoured them, and 
thereafter assigned the bills and jewels to his 
brother-in-law, John Ramsay, who, along with 
Mr. Robert Byres, advocate, son-in-law of Aiken- 
head, granted a bond for the colonel’s use, to make 
the jewels forthcoming. Col. Cunningham having 
died abroad, Ramsay was in 1646 confirmed ex- 
ecutor gua creditor to him, in order that he might 
be repaid for his advances to Aikenhead out of 
the value of the jewels. In 1650, “after the in- 
coming of the English,” Byres abstracted the 
jewels from a coal-cellar in Ramsay’s house, in 
Edinburgh, where they had been concealed, and 
some years after, being in necessitous circum- 
stances, pledged them to several persons. After 
his death, Ramsay raised an action against those in- 
dividuals for exhibition and delivery of the jewels, 
on the ground that Byres had no right to dispose 
of them, as they had come illegally into his pos- 
session. It was objected, inter alia, that Ramsay 
was in mora in not having claimed them sooner, 
and he alleged in answer that he did not do so, 
‘* because he feared the English should have seized 
upon them, if he had pursued for them.” The 
Court decided in his favour, and ordered delivery 
of the jewels, which are described as “ certain 
* Ramsay v. Wilson, Dec. 12, 1665, reported by Presi- 
dent Gilmour, Visc. Stair, and Lord Newbyth, 
jewels of considerable value.” Nothing appears 
as to how they came into the colonel’s hands. 
He seems to have served under Gustavus Adol- 
phus, King of Sweden, as in the list of Scottish 
officers who served under that prince, mentioned 
in Monro his Expedition (Lond. 1637), is the 
name of “ Alexander Cunninghame, Lieuetenant- 
Colonell, since a Colonell to foote.” 
It would be curious to ascertain what was the 
final destiny of these jewels, which must have 
passed through so many hands. It is probable 
that the five pieces of gold coined at the battle of 
Leipsick, mentioned in the Inventory (p. 196.) 
were received by the colonel in consequence of 
his presence at that engagement. R. BR. 
HANGMAN STONES. 
(2 S. i. 282, 402.) 
Some years ago, there was still to be seen ina 
meadow belonging to me, situate near the north- 
western boundary of the parish of Littlebury, in 
Essex, a large stone; the name of which, and the 
traditions attached to it, were identical with those 
recorded by your correspondents treating of 
“ Hangman Stones.” 
This stone was subsequently removed by the 
late Mr. Jabez Gibson to Saffron Walder, and 
still remains in his garden at that place. I have 
a strong impression, that other “ hangman stones” 
are to be met with elsewhere, but I am unable to 
point out the exact localities. ‘There are a great 
many stones of different sizes called Boulders, in 
North Essex, generally to be met with near the 
road side. The common idea is, that they have 
been disinterred, and left near the spot where they 
were discovered. 
A very large one occasioned lately a good deal 
of trouble to the vicar of Rickling, who met with 
it in sinking a well, at a considerable depth from 
the surface ; and was obliged to have recourse to 
puncturing a hole through it, before he could get 
rid of the obstacle. “ 
The largest Boulder stone in that neighbourhood 
may be observed on the east side of the turn- 
pike road, leading from Audley End to Newport, 
at the entrance of that village ; but I never could 
hear anything of its history, nor does any tradi- 
tion exist on the subject; but from its situation, 
it may have been placed there to mark the boun- 
dary between the parishes of Newport and Wen- 
den. I hope some of your readers may be able 
to furnish information of a more satisfactory na- 
ture. BRAYBROOKE. 
On the right hand side of the road, between 
Brighton and Newhaven (about five miles, I 
think, from the former place,) is a stone desig= 
