Editing History of St Albans (section)

===Early Modern===
As part of the [[dissolution of the monasteries]], [[Henry VIII]] closed the Abbey in 1539 and took possession of the town, it remained crown property for the next fourteen years. In 1553, Henry's son [[Edward VI]] sold the abbey, the governance of the town, and the market (by [[letters patent]]) to a group of local merchants and landowners. The town became [[Borough#Ancient .26 Municipal boroughs|borough]] with a mayor. The mayor, assisted by ten [[burgess (title)|burgess]]es and serving for up to three years, had executive and judicial powers.<ref>{{Cite web|last=St Albans Mayor's Office|date=2013|title=A Brief History of St Albans and the Mayoralty|url=https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/publications/council/Mayoral%20History%20Booklet_tcm15-34877.pdf|website=St Albans City & District Council}}</ref> The first mayor was John Lockey.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-02 |title=Translation of the Letters Patent of the seventh year of the reign of Edward VI |url=https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/translation-letters-patent-seventh-year-reign-edward-vi |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202185637/https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/translation-letters-patent-seventh-year-reign-edward-vi |archive-date=2023-02-02 |access-date=2023-12-09 |website=St Albans City & District Council}}</ref> The Lady Chapel became part of [[St Albans School (Hertfordshire)|St Albans School]] and the Great Gatehouse was used as a prison until the 19th century, when the school took it over.

In 1555, during the reign of [[Mary I of England|Queen Mary I]], a Protestant baker from Yorkshire, [[George Tankerfield]], was brought from London and burnt to death on Romeland for his refusal to accept the Roman Catholic doctrine of [[transubstantiation]].

During the [[First English Civil War|English Civil War]] (1642–45) the town sided with parliament but was largely unaffected by the conflict.