Editing Bess of Hardwick (section)

===Third marriage===
[[File:Blason Aragon.svg|thumb|200px|Arms of St Loe: ''Argent, a bend sable''<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/generalarmoryofe00burk/generalarmoryofe00burk_djvu.txt Burke's General Armory, 1884]</ref>]]
In 1559 Bess married a third time, to Sir [[William St Loe]] (1518–1565) (''alias'' St Lowe, Saintlowe, Sentloe, etc.) and became '''Lady St Loe'''. Her new husband was [[Captain of the Guard]] to Queen Elizabeth I and [[Chief Butler of England]]. Due to his relationship with Queen Elizabeth I, he was able to reduce the debt Bess owed and paid it back in full on her behalf.<ref name=":1">Lovell, M. S. (Spring 2018). Bess of Hardwick. ''National Trust Magazine'', ''148'', 32-33.</ref> He owned large [[West Country]] estates at [[Tormarton]] in [[Gloucestershire]] and [[Chew Magna]] in [[Somerset]], while his principal residence was at [[Sutton Court]] in [[Stowey]]. When he died without male issue in 1564/5, in suspicious circumstances (probably poisoned by his younger brother),<ref>[[Mary S. Lovell]]: ''Bess of Hardwick'', pp185-186</ref> he left everything to Bess, to the detriment of his daughters and brother.<ref name="Digby" /> In addition to her own six surviving children, Bess was now responsible for the two daughters of Sir William St Loe from his first marriage. However, those two daughters were already adults and otherwise well provided for.

Sir William St Loe's death left Bess one of the wealthiest women in England. Her annual income was calculated to amount to [[Pound sterling|£]]60,000, {{Inflation|UK|60000|1564|fmt=eq|cursign=£|r=-6}}.{{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y}} Further, she was a [[Lady of the Bedchamber]] with daily access to the Queen, whose favour she enjoyed. Still in her late 30s, Bess retained her looks and good health, and a number of important men began courting her.