ous ▁approaches ▁to ▁rich ▁wid ows ▁in ▁the ▁hope ▁of ▁se cur ing ▁a ▁good ▁marriage . ▁In ▁ 1 6 4 9 , ▁he ▁married ▁Mary , ▁Lady ▁Main w aring ▁( d augh ter ▁of ▁Sir ▁William ▁For ster ▁of ▁Ald erm ast on ), ▁a ▁wealth y ▁thr ice - wid owed ▁woman ▁twenty ▁years ▁his ▁senior ; ▁she ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁relative ▁by ▁marriage ▁of ▁his ▁first ▁wife ' s ▁family ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁mother ▁of ▁grown ▁children . ▁The ▁marriage ▁took ▁place ▁despite ▁the ▁opposition ▁of ▁the ▁b ride ' s ▁family , ▁and ▁it ▁did ▁not ▁prove ▁to ▁be ▁harm on ious : ▁Lady ▁Main w aring ▁file d ▁suit ▁for ▁separation ▁and ▁al im ony ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁dismiss ed ▁by ▁the ▁courts ▁in ▁ 1 6 5 7 . ▁Nevertheless , ▁the ▁marriage ▁provided ▁Ash m ole ▁with ▁Mary ' s ▁first ▁husband ' s ▁est ates ▁cent red ▁on ▁Brad field ▁in ▁Ber k shire ▁which ▁left ▁him ▁wealth y ▁enough ▁to ▁purs ue ▁his ▁interests , ▁including ▁bot any ▁and ▁al ch emy , ▁without ▁concern ▁for ▁having ▁to ▁ear n ▁a ▁living . ▁He ▁arranged ▁for ▁his ▁friend ▁Wh art on ▁to ▁be ▁released ▁from ▁prison ▁and ▁appointed ▁him ▁to ▁manage ▁the ▁est ates . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 6 5 0 s , ▁Ash m ole ▁devoted ▁a ▁great ▁deal ▁of ▁energy ▁to ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁al ch emy . ▁In ▁ 1 6 5 0 , ▁he ▁published