By 1778 Nelson was earning substantial prize money as Peter Parker moved him through commands including HMS Badger. Naval officers did need to spend on hospitality for subordinates and, at flag rank, their staffs. Successful contemporaries nevertheless also saved for houses, pensions, retirement, and wider family obligations. Nelson's inconsistency with money appears connected to a command temperament absorbed by the immediate puzzle and inclined to postpone anything beyond the next operational horizon.
Notable Point · 17:22-19:28
Prize money and Nelson's present-focused temperament
Nelson understood the immediate social uses of prize money but rarely gave long-term financial security the attention he gave an enemy problem.