Finch Lane

Finch Lane (labelled Finke la. on the Agas map) was a small north-south lane that ran between Threadneedle Street and Cornhill. The north half of the lane was in Broadstreet Ward and the southern half was in Cornhill Ward. It was also known as Fynkeslane, Fynkeslane, Fynghis Lane, and Fenkislane (Harben; BHO).
According to Stow and Harben, the lane is named after Robert Finke and his family (son Robert Finke and relatives James and Rosamund) as Robert Finke financed the building of St. Benet Fink church. The Dictionary of London, however, notes that Finch Lane may also refer to a Ailwin Fink, a moneychanger who lived in Finkeslane 1261-2 (Weinreb, Hibbert, Keay, and Keay 290). Few literary texts reference Finch Lane; Sugden does note that Thomas Deloney’s The Gentle Craft mentions Anthony Now-Now, the firkin fidler of Finchlane (qtd. in Sugden 191).
Finch Lane still exists in modern London.

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