Social classes
Rules of etiquette are usually unwritten and passed down from generation to generation, although in days gone by it was common for young ladies to attend a finishing school to ensure their manners were up to scratch. An attribute which was felt particularly crucial in securing a suitable husband!
Whilst today good manners and etiquette are seen as a sign of respect, particularly to those more senior (in either age or position), in Victorian England when the class system was alive and well, etiquette was often used as a social weapon in the interests of social advancement or exclusion.