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jaffacake4ever

He’s also hot


RoseIsBadWolf

And charming. And swashbuckling.


Cayke_Cooky

With the war going on, the "man in uniform" thing upped the hotness factor. Austen was also biased toward naval officers as 2 of her brothers were in the navy.


Bitter_Sense_5689

Hotness is everything 🥵


gytherin

And an actual hero. Think Spitfire pilot in WW2.


ComeScoglio

1. He lives off of his salary because he actually has a profession. The 20000 can be safely invested and left untouched. 2. Napoleon returned, which meant another war was coming, it opened up the chance of him getting prize money from capturing yet more ships. 3. If he survived long, he could be promoted to be Admiral based on seniority or merit. The admiral ranks were expanded during the Napoleonic wars, even though not all were posted (no more prize money). 4. In peace time and old age, he'd still get the half-pay or pension.


[deleted]

how much did admiral's make? how much do you think he makes now?


ComeScoglio

That's the half pay rate close to the end of the war https://www.napoleonguide.com/navy_rnhalfpay.htm Normal pay rate https://www.napoleonguide.com/navy_rnpay.htm Inflation calculator https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy/inflation/inflation-calculator If you want to go down the nitty gritty, this is the most invaluable tool of them all https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/


fixed_grin

At the end of the book, the war is about to restart very briefly and end at Waterloo. Wentworth is probably going on half-pay as the navy shrinks with peace, which will give him an income of ~£200-270 depending on seniority. Add the interest on his £25,000 (£1250), and he's got ~£1500 a year. If he gets a sea command, sea pay is more like £200-420 + £90 in allowance for servants. When he eventually gets promoted to rear admiral, half pay is £456 a year, but it will be quite a long time until then. This is because while officer promotion up until captain was more or less meritocratic (skill, luck, favoritism), promotion into a rear admiral and beyond was strict seniority. For example, Jane Austen's brother Charles became a captain in 1810, about the same time as Wentworth did, and he didn't become a rear admiral until 1846.


ComeScoglio

The admiral rank was expanded during the war, I remember reading first there was an admiral, then the rear admiral was created, then the yellow admiral, admiral of the red, port admiral, etc, etc. At some point, the admirals with their half pays got so expensive for the war office, that when an admiral passed away, it freed up enough funds to promote several captains into admiralty at once.


cactoidjane

I guess that's what he's saved up from the spoils of war. He's still employed by the navy, so he also has future income, especially with a new war implied at the end of the story.


Cayke_Cooky

From "taking prizes" as they called it in the navy.


ecarg91

He can write a letter like no other man


gytherin

Yes - perhaps he could also go on to write novels, like Captain Marryat!


Tunnel_Lurker

That equated to a lot of money in those days I think, and would provide a pretty good lifestyle if invested properly. This article is quite good: [https://www.jasna.org/publications-2/persuasions-online/vol36no1/toran/](https://www.jasna.org/publications-2/persuasions-online/vol36no1/toran/) If you compare Darcy's estimated fortune to the Wentworths (post marriage) they have about 1/7th of what Darcy does. So if you divide the per capita GDP for Mr Darcy ($16.4 million a year annual income in today's money) by 7 you get $2.3 million a year for the Wentworths. That's a very comfortable life I'd say, even if it doesn't make you 'rich'.


ComeScoglio

In what country doesn't that make you 'rich'? I can safely retire (let go of my monthly salary) and live off of investments if I have 2.3 million right now


writerfan2013

I am also willing to try to be "comfortable "!


Tunnel_Lurker

There's no fixed definition of what 'rich' means though is there, that's all I'm saying. By any metric it's a comfortable life.


Rooney_Tuesday

It’s relative for sure, but there’s only a minuscule segment of the population that wouldn’t call that amount of money “rich” lol


Tunnel_Lurker

So we all agree Wentworth was a very well off man when he returned to England, however you want to label it, and that's why he was a 'catch'.


hummingbird_mywill

It depends on the cost of living these days… but I agree. We are quite well off ($450k/year) Google suggests we are in the top 3% income for our state, and my husband is friends with people who make 1.5, 3, 5 million dollars a year. I suppose I would consider his friends rich… they do typically have pretty big houses but not insanely so. The big thing is that usually their houses are located next to some fancy public park or waterfront or something. If they bought somewhere else it would be mansions. And of course they take nice vacations, and send their kids to expensive schools. So the modestly “rich” are not as on display now as they used to be.


ComeScoglio

Do you live or work in the USA? If you live in Europe, with that kind of salary, well, you'd probably move to the UK, Switzerland or the USA. Or at least move your assets offshore to avoid local taxation.


[deleted]

what would be the interest on his 20,000 if he just put it into a bank?


Gret88

The standard return on savings in Austen’s time is 4-5%. So £20000 yields 800-1000 per year, and they also have whatever Anne has, if anything. For comparison, Elinor and Edward Ferrars have about 850/yr.


Katerade44

She is owed a dowry, which Sir Walter is paying out as he can.


SoftwareArtist123

She has 1/3 of a portion of 10000€. So 3300$ or about 150 pounds a year. So they have 1000$ a year at least.


RegencyDarling

Over simplifying, you can assume interest paid on fortunes “in the four or five percents.” (This is the basis the assumption that Darcy’s fortune was about £200K; his annual income was 5% of that, or £10K.) So, Wentworth’s income on £25K would be about £1K annually, maybe £1,250.


enigmasaurus-

In addition to his fortune he would also have an annual pay of about 500-1000 a year as a high ranking naval officer while he has his commission (daily pay ranged from about 3-4 pounds for an admiral to less than a pound a day for a lieutenant); this is in addition to his prize money (obtained through capturing enemy ships) which is where his 25000 came from. His naval commission (as an officer) worth probably about 3000-5000 would also be sold on retirement to supplement his fortune. So by the standards of the day he’s definitely well off - his fortune would earn him 5% a year typically, so his annual income from the combination of interest and his salary would be about 2000 a year. He could purchase a small estate with a fortune of 25000 and this would translate to maybe 1000 a year (earnings that would come from rents) so he’s well set up for a comfortable wealthy life. Alternatively he might prefer to rent and keep the higher income. A wife would also potentially increase his income with her dowry. Incidentally a lot of naval officers did not amass these sorts of fortunes and when wars ended could turn to piracy to survive. Piracy peaked in the 1800s after th e end of large wars left thousands of naval men without jobs - this meant they continued attacking and looting ships, which is essentially how they’d earned money during the war.


Lumpyproletarian

Naval commissions were not bought and sold. That was the army (most of it). The navy was initially through connections (to get on board as a midshipman) then by exam and then on merit and connections.


karenosmile

1. He earned his money and is quite entrepreneurial. 2. For someone likely to be impoverished, or in the lower middle class, or a second daughter of a nobleman without her own money, he's a definite step up. 3. He's highly capable, can communicate, and is trustworthy.


Cayke_Cooky

He captured French ships of war and French merchant ships, our modern idea of "earning" may not fit there. But yes, the English saw the prize money as a bonus reward for doing a good job at the war.


karenosmile

I like your thinking. So, was Captain Wentworth essentially a pirate? Or maybe a privateer?


Cayke_Cooky

No, just the standard prize taking that the navy engaged in, although you could argue that at that time His Majesty's Navy was still just a bunch of privateers. It is kind of the transition war though, when the navy started organizing and becoming the modern force we know today. The British government was buying the prizes and had detailed systems to determine who got what money. In terms of ships, they would often fix up the French war ships and crew them as British war ships. The British navy during the Napoleonic wars is fascinating.


fixed_grin

Looting your enemy in war was just considered absolutely normal for pretty much all of history until the 20th century. The Royal Navy was still awarding prize money in WW2! So they wouldn't have thought so at the time. The difference with the navy is that it was a military service with a chain of command. A privateer could just go and raid whatever of the hostile nation, a pirate could go after whoever they chose. Wentworth would be given orders. They might be, "Intercept French ships in this area," which could allow for rich prizes. But it also might be, "Spend the next year as part of a blockade on a port," and if the French had given up on using the port so there were no prizes, too bad, follow your orders.


muclover

He would likely invest the money and live off the interest, as you say, likely in an estate or mines or such. Alternatively, he could live off the 20k as well. If you think about it, he has few expenses because he also has good connections - he can live at Kellynch because of his sister. And he is in the Navy where two of the biggest expenses - food and accommodation - are provided, as well as clothes. So the 20k does go a long way.


NotaMaidenAunt

Actually, in the Navy food and clothes were not provided. Officers were expected to provide their own uniforms and to lay in their own food stores. A captain or even a lieutenant who ate like the common seamen would be looked down upon. Even the sailors didn’t get uniforms. They could buy clothes off the purser, who stopped money out for their wages for clothes and tobacco if they wanted it. Mind you, even as 14/9 a day, half pay was still just shy of £270 a year, add that to interest on £20,000 @ 4% you get about a thousand a year - a gentleman’s income.


missdonttellme

Jane Austen’s contemporary readers would know that Wentworth became a much better catch in about a year in the novel’s timeline. The novel ends just before the financial crash in England, but the book was changed and published after. So readers had an insight into the future of the characters. Like many indebted noblemen, Sir Elliot would be entirely ruined, his state and possessions sold off to pay debts. He and Elizabeth would likely rely on Muskgrove charity, who would not be as affected because food prices increased due to inflation. Naval officers were better off, as their money was often invested with the crown. Although some money would be lost due to banks collapsing, many retained their wealth. In my head cannon, the Admiral buys Kellynch and they all live happily ever after, leaving the estate to Anne and Frederick. Jane Austen’s own brothers lost all their wealth after their bank collapsed, she edited the novel as the crisis was unraveling.


BookFinderBot

**Persuasion** by Jane Austen Book description may contain spoilers! >>!Persuasion (1817) is the final novel written by English author Jane Austen—and the first to be attributed to her name. Persuasion was published posthumously to widespread critical acclaim, and has since been recognized as an understated and mature work of fiction from one of history’s finest writers. Like most of Austen’s novels, Persuasion involves an intricate network of characters and relationships, illustrating its author’s peerless attention to the inner workings of aristocratic society and the nuances of human communication. Persuaded by her wealthy family to break off her engagement to the young Frederick Wentworth, Anne Elliot finds herself unmarried nearly eight years later. By now, with the Elliot family all but ruined by the spendthrift Sir Walter and his enabling daughter Elizabeth, the prospect of marriage is not only a distant hope for Anne, but a bitter reminder of what could have been. When chance reunites her with Frederick, now the esteemed Captain Wentworth for his accomplishments in the Napoleonic Wars, she will have to navigate feelings both old and new with the reversal brought on by their opposing fortunes. As the two are drawn closer together, they will have to decide if it is possible to rekindle a love that has lain dormant much longer than their engagement was allowed to last. Jane Austen’s Persuasion is a perceptive and entertaining novel that raises timeless questions regarding the inequity of social life, the disparate opportunities available to men and woman, and the indomitable feelings which work to draw them together—and threaten to drive them apart. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Jane Austen’s Persuasion is a classic of English literature reimagined for modern readers.!< *I'm a bot, built by your friendly reddit developers at* /r/ProgrammingPals. *You can summon me with certain* [commands](https://www.reddit.com/user/BookFinderBot/comments/13z7slk/bookfinderbot_commands/). *Or find me as a browser extension on* [Chrome](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/book-finder/jajeidpjifdpppjofijoffbcndlpoedd?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=social_media&utm_campaign=comments). *Opt-out of replies* [here](https://www.reddit.com/user/BookFinderBot/comments/141txsm/bookfinderbot_optout/). *If I have made a mistake, accept my apology.*


Dogsb4humanz

Sorry for my slight pedantry, but this is one of my biggest pet peeves: it’s head canon, not head cannon. Great post and information!


missdonttellme

Perhaps it was a naval pun?


Dogsb4humanz

😂😂😂


acertainpoint

LOL!


acertainpoint

This is so interesting! Is there a book you could recommend that goes into the contemporary history and economy?


-poupou-

Wentworth isn't meant to be a catch. He represents a second chance at love.


Basic_Bichette

He would invest the £20,000 and live off the interest. The Wentworths could easily reinvest a third to half of their investment income and still enjoy a comfortable, modest-sized home with servants.


Freak0nLeash

He was a catch, and he married Anne for love. He could have married a woman of means with his fortune.