After the Reformation, the Abbey was dissolved in 1539 and sold to the town in 1553 for £400, becoming a Protestant parish church. A market had been running outside the abbey since the 10th century and was confirmed by King John in 1202. It was not until May 1553 that, in response to a public petition, the town received a Royal Charter by King Edward VI. The Charter granted St Albans the status of borough as well as defining the powers of mayors and councillors. It was also in the charter that the market days of Wednesday and Saturday were specified, which continue to this day.

In the late 17th or early 18th century, reputedly in around 1736, Sarah Churchill, the 1st Duchess of Marlborough built and endowed the almshouses on Hatfield Road, which are currently still standing. These were used for the comfortable support and maintenance of 36 poor persons – 18 poor men, and 18 poor women. The Duchess, who was a favourite of Queen Anne, had land in St Albans via her marriage with John Churchill, who lived in Sandridge. The Marlboroughs retired to Blenheim Palace, which Sarah completed building after her husband’s death in 1722.

The growth of the town was facilitated by the market as well as the proximity to London. Verulam Road was created specifically to aid the movement of stage coaches, as St Albans was conveniently placed as a first night’s stop on the journey from London. This is why there are a large number of pubs in the city, reportedly the most per square mile in Britain, as they were previously used as coaching inns. The coaching industry declined after the 1840’s, when the railway arrived in 1858. There were originally three lines into the city, firstly the route to Watford, then a now defunct line to Hatfield in 1865 and finally the mainline service to London and Bedford in 1868.

It was these transport links that attracted a local seed merchant, Samuel Ryder, to locate his business to St Albans, eventually moving to offices and a large packing workshop on Holywell Hill, located where the Comfort Hotel and Café Rouge stand today. He served as Mayor of St Albans and remained a councillor for several years after his term. In his later life, Ryder began to suffer from poor health and was advised to take up golf as exercise. He joined the local Verulam Golf Club, making large donations to the club including the famous Ryder Cup and sponsorship of the tournament.