I know it would be difficult to give me an accurate answer, but how many modern-day pounds would would go into a 19th Century pound, I just keep trying to get my head around the sums of money described in the Sharpe books, and keep failing! Also, a little cheesy, but does your Wellington actually like Sharpe? it's difficult to tell, I need to know that one of my heroes likes and respects the other! thanks for your time, James Trethowan.
It is difficult - but you can use some comparisons - and these are rough as well, because there was considerable inflation during the Napoleonic Wars, but taking 1810 as an average sort of year - a bricklayer earned a pound a week, a farm labourer about 70p a week - these, plus other figures, suggests that you need multiply by at least 600 - probably nearer a thousand to get anything like a present day value. I do have some more accurate estimates somewhere, but can't immediately lay my hands on them - and I now think the translation I provided in the Historical Note of Sharpe's Revenge is much too low.
Does Wellington like Sharpe? I doubt it. Or if he did he wouldn't be too ready to admit it. Wellington was a snob, sadly, and drew his friends from his own upper class, and didn't have much time for 'adventurers' like Sharpe - and certainly disapproved of men being promoted from the ranks ('they always take to drink'), but as he owes his life to Sharpe the relationship gets a bit complicated, which is how I like it.