How did the “Income” of rich people mentioned in the literature of 19th-century work?

Question

When reading a book like the Count of Monte Chriato or Scherlock Holmes, they mention that this and this person has an income of 4000 pounds and that person will have this and this income when she marries.

How does that work? Most of these people do not do any actual job.

In: 669

Answer 1

Largely, the same way it works for rich people now. Things like income from investments, full or shared ownership of business ventures (things like railroads or shipping) and real estate holdings. Many rich people back then, especially nobility and aristocrats (in countries which have nobility) owned massive estates of land, and got tremendous amount of income from that land from things like farming, timber, mining, and renting it out to tenants.