Finney's post

Finney's Post is part of an ornate mediaeval oak post, which once stood at the corner of the Market Place and High Street, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England. For a picture of it, see ^[1]

Legend has it that this post caused an apparently-dead woman (Mrs. Albert Finney) to be brought back to life when her coffin carelessly crashed into the post.^[2]

Mrs.Albert Finney lived in Clay's Lane, Stapenhill and was a baker's assistant. After the incident described in that reference, she became ill with consumption/TB and eventually died at the young age of 36 years. She was buried at Bretby Church cemetery.

The post was formerly housed in the Burton Town Museum which closed around 1980. From then until 2007 it was on display at the Meadowside Leisure Centre in the town in a glass case.

In July 2007 the post was controversially "given away" to the Victoria and Albert Museum by the Conservative-controlled East Staffordshire Borough Council causing a great furore in the town.

Further investigation shows that the Post had been purchased by the V and A in 1922 and then loaned back to Burton Town Museum. This was planned to have only been for a matter of months but for some reason, post remained in Burton up until 2007. The "controversy" surrounding the so-called furore as reported in the local press was therefore not warranted. The post is now displayed in the Architecture Section of the V and A and is given far better safekeeping than afforded by being stored at the local swimming pool.^[2]

Inscription On the Post

'This Post, as Finney's Legend saith,

Awoke a Scolding Wife from Death;

But when at length she ceas'd to breathe,

And honest Finney ceased to grieve,

'oh shun' he said, as borne along,

With solemn dirge and funeral song.

'Oh shun, my friends, that cruel Stump

That gave my dear so hard a Bump.'

J.S.

References

1. ↑ http://www.search.staffspasttrack.org.uk/engine/resource/default.asp?txtKeywords%3D%26lstContext%3D%26lstResourceType%3D%26lstExhibitionType%3D%26chkPurchaseVisible%3D%26rbAlphabeticalRecent%3D1%26txtDateFrom%3D%26txtDateTo%3D%26originator%3D%252Fengine%252Fsearch%252Fdefault_hndlr.asp%26page%3D5%26records%3D51%26direction%3D1%26pointer%3D8225%26text%3D1%26resource%3D23843. Retrieved 12 October 2011.  Missing or empty |title= (help)
2. 1 2 http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O127823/corner-post-jetty-finneys-post/?print=1