Nelson's bank statement shows naval hero paid estranged wife £18,000 a year

But the was also famous for the bold decisions he made in his love life after he left his wife for his mistress Lady Hamilton.

The couple caused a scandal in high society when they moved in to a London house together along with Hamilton's husband.

And now it has been revealed that the Commander also paid a heavy price financially for the break up of his marriage.

A bank statement from 1802 suggests Lord Nelson paid his abandoned wife Frances the equivalent of £18,000 a year after they split up.

The previously unseen document is among a collection of papers that belonged to the great admiral and have been kept in a private collection.

It includes receipts and bills and gives a glimpse into the life of the hero prior to his death aboard HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

Lord Nelson volunteered to pay his wife the living allowance after he fell in love with Lady Hamilton who nursed him back to health after he was injured in the Battle of the Nile.

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Lord Nelson's mistress Lady Hamilton, left, and the wife he abandoned her for, Lady Nelson

The couple moved to London along with the cuckolded Sir William Hamilton, who is said to have actively encouraged the affair.

The devastated Lady Nelson was devastated by her husband's refusal to communicate with her, and they never actually divorced.

But it could have severely damaged Nelson's reputation had he not provided her with some kind of living allowance.

Dr Pieter van der Merwe, of the National Maritime Museum said yesterday: "Lord Nelson treated Lady Hamilton very harshly on a personal level, but financially he acted very properly.

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Nelson's 1802 bank statement detailing the annual payment to his abandoned former wife

"He volunteered to provide her with an income, and relative to his wealth, it was quite a generous one."

He added: "Nelson was well off, but a long way from the riches attained by some of his Naval colleagues."

The bank statement is addressed to the "Right Honourable Viscount Nelson" and is from the last quarter of 1802.

It is from his bankers, Messers Marsh and Creed, and shows in detail the financial state of the inspirational leader.

He paid Lady Nelson, his estranged wife, an annuity of £400, which is the equivalent today to £18,216.

His expenditure that quarter was £2,878 and a penny, leaving him with a balance at the start of 1803 of £258 six shillings and eight pence.

His income during that period included a £500 pension from the Exchequer and £304 two shillings and six pence from the sale of bonds.

He also received £375 in prize money for capturing the brig Ilvalore.

Papers in the collection also provide an insight into life on board HMS Victory, such as a bill Nelson was sent from Edward Gaynor on September 5 1804.

Among numerous supplies, Nelson bought six sheep, eight turkeys, two stacks of hay, eggs, nuts, wine and tomatoes.

The total bill came to £132, six shillings and six pence - a huge sum in those days.

It is thought the papers came from Nelson's brother-in-law George Matcham and were passed down the family line.

Chris Copson from Charterhouse auctioneers in Sherborne, Dorset, who is selling the documents, said they were almost destroyed by fire.

He said: "The documents were in a suitcase with other papers that were not related to Nelson and they had been thrown on a fire 50 years ago by the vendor's grandfather.

"Fortunately they were pulled out of the flames and preserved for all these years, but the family has now decided to sell them.

"The documents give a fascinating glimpse into the life of Lord Nelson in the years just prior to his death at Trafalgar.

"The bank statement shows the ordinary, everyday details about the life of one of Britain's most famous men at the height of his heroics.

He added: "It is difficult to put a price on the lot, but we've estimated it up to £400. However, it is likely to exceed that and could easily run into the thousands."