Blue plaque honours founder of Ryder Cup

A blue plaque honouring the founder of the Ryder Cup has been unveiled at a building he commissioned.

Relatives of Samuel Ryder, who is buried in St Albans in Hertfordshire and was a former mayor of the city, attended the ceremony at his former Seed and Exhibition Hall in Holywell Hill on Tuesday.

Ryder built his fortune through a pioneering mail-order seed business, selling penny seed packets that made gardening accessible to working people.

He later enlisted the architect Percival Blow to design the hall in 1931, which "still stands as a testament to his entrepreneurial vision", said Professor Tim Boatswain, chair of Blue Plaques St Albans.

Following an informal golf tournament between Great Britain and the US the year before, Ryder donated the prize trophy in 1927 that would bear his name, establishing one of the world's most prestigious sporting competitions.

Plans for a £150,000 statue celebrating his life were agreed by the council in 2011.

However, it has yet to be erected in the city.

Author Peter Fry, who has written about Ryder, said: "It is a privilege to see Samuel Ryder's contribution to both St Albans and the world of golf permanently recognised in this way.

"He was a man of extraordinary energy, generosity and quiet determination.

"This plaque will help future generations understand just how much they owe to a seedsman from Holywell Hill."

This latest plaque joins a trail across the city celebrating figures of local and national significance.

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