In chapter 10, Mr Rushworth asks Fanny if she is an admirer of Mr Crawford, and she says she does not find him handsome. Mr Rushworth then goes on to say how could such an undersized man be considered handsome. Mr Crawford is about 5'8". I thought that was quite tall for back then. I suspect the upper class was taller than everyone else because they were better fed. They must have seemed like a race of giants to most people.
See link image 4.Thomas Hardy was only 5'1". H.G. Well was 5'5". Charles Dickens was 5'7". William Makepeace Thackery was 6'3", but I think he came from a relatively wealthy family. His father had been a civil servant in India, which seems to have been a pretty good way of getting rich, if Vanity Fair is any guide.
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