ies thereupon converted the
Lady Chapel and the retro-choir into the grammar school. A passage was
cut through the retro-choir, bounded by brick walls on either side; this
was used as a public pathway until 1874, when it was closed, and again
became part of the church. The part to the east of the passage served as
the grammar school until 1870. The mayor and burgesses by the same
charter received the Abbey Church, in return for L400, to be used as
their parish church; and in May, 1553, the first rector, George
Wetherall, took charge of the building.

[Illustration: INTERIOR OF THE LADY CHAPEL BEFORE 1874.
(From the Official Guide to the Great Northern Railway.)]

The parishioners thus found themselves in possession of an enormous
building which they had not sufficient money to keep in proper repair.
In 1612, and again in 1681, briefs or letters patent were issued by
royal authority, ordering collections to be made in all churches in
England for the repair of St. Albans Church. In 1689 a grant was made by
William and Mary. These sums were spent on various repairs, such as
altering the belfry windows, "filling up" with earth "the hollow in the
wing," that is, raising the level of the floor of the south arm of the
transept. In 1695 similar work was done in the north aisle; in 1704 a
new window, a wooden one, was inserted in the south end of the transept,
in place of Wheathampstead's, which had been blown in by a gale during
the previous year. There are records of L100 being spent in recasting
some of the bells between 1705 and 1707.

Money was again collected in 1721 by letters patent, and this was spent
on repairing the ceilings. About the same time a legacy was spent in
repaving the nave, and the west ends of the aisles were blocked by brick
walls. Some slight repairs were done about 1764, when a fresh collection
was made.

More extensive repairs were made in 1832: the roof was releaded, such of
the clerestory windows as had been closed were reglazed, and the south
window of the transept was rebuilt in stone. The choir, after the
repairs, was opened for service in 1833. The nave to the west of the
rood-screen was more or less in a dilapidated condition, protected by
the releaded roof, but not used. The presbytery had been fitted up in
Georgian style as a chancel, the organ stood in the north arm of the
transept, and high pews filled the choir westward as far as the
rood-screen. This was the condition of the part of t