Lord Nelson shared the considerable financial costs of pleasing his mistress with her husband when the three of them lived together, newly-uncovered documents show.

Sir William Hamilton became one the most famous cuckolds in British history when he moved with his younger wife Emma, Lady Hamilton, into the celebrated admiral's house in Merton, south London in 1801.

But not only did the two men share a lover, they also pooled their resources to cover the huge sums necessary to meet her expensive tastes.

A set of 16 household accounts covering the period of the unusual domestic arrangement, which is up for auction next month, show that Lord Nelson and Sir William split many bills evenly.