Richard Holt Hutton

Richard Holt Hutton
Born	Leeds, England
Died	September 9, 1897(1897-09-09) (aged 71)
Occupation(s)	Journalist, writer
Known for	Co-editor of National Review and The Spectator; essays on literature and religion

Richard Holt Hutton (2 June 1826 – 9 September 1897) was a distinguished English journalist with a focus on literature and religious subjects.

Life and work

Richard Holt Hutton was born in Leeds to Joseph Hutton, a Unitarian clergyman, and relocated with his family to London in 1835. His education took place at University College School and University College London, where he was awarded a gold medal in philosophy in 1845. During this period, he established a lifelong friendship with Walter Bagehot, whose writings he would later edit. After brief academic pursuits in Heidelberg and Berlin, Hutton enrolled at Manchester New College in 1847 with the intention of entering the ministry, though he was never ordained by any church. In 1851, he married his cousin Anne Roscoe and assumed the role of co-editor for the Unitarian journal Inquirer. However, due to his unconventional perspectives, he stepped down from this position in 1853. Following health complications and a voyage to the West Indies—where Anne succumbed to yellow fever—Hutton returned to England.

In 1855, Hutton partnered with Bagehot as joint editors of the National Review, an esteemed monthly publication that endured for a decade. Influenced by theologians Frederick William Robertson and John Frederick Denison Maurice, Hutton’s religious outlook gradually aligned more closely with the Church of England, which he ultimately joined. His writings skillfully merged spiritual themes with metaphysical exploration, expanding their resonance. By 1861, he collaborated with Meredith Townsend as co-editor and part-owner of the liberal weekly The Spectator. Although initially struggling financially, Hutton emphasized literary quality and earned recognition for serious, reflective journalism. Under his guidance, the Spectator flourished as a platform for incisive critiques on literature, religion, and philosophy, frequently challenging the agnostic perspectives popularized by T. H. Huxley.

Renowned for his journalistic expertise and extensive professional connections, Hutton remarried in 1858 to Eliza Roscoe, a cousin of his first wife; she passed away early in 1897, followed by Hutton later that same year.

Among his significant works are Essays, Theological and Literary (1871; revised edition 1888), Criticisms on Contemporary Thought and Thinkers (1894), and selections from his Spectator essays compiled as Aspects of Religious and Scientific Thought (1899).

Interests

Hutton was a founding member of the Metaphysical Society in 1869 and an advocate against vivisection. He served on the Royal Commission in 1875 that contributed to the enactment of the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876. Additionally, he was involved in parapsychology, acting as vice president of the Society for Psychical Research beginning in 1882.

Collections

• 1871. Essays, Theological and Literary. Two volumes. London: Macmillan. (Second edition, 1880; third edition, 1888; fourth edition, 1895–1896.)
• 1894. Criticisms on Contemporary Thought and Thinkers. Two volumes. London: Macmillan.
• 1899. Aspects of Religious and Scientific Thought. Edited by Elizabeth M. Roscoe. London: Macmillan.
• 1906. Brief Literary Criticisms. Edited by Elizabeth M. Roscoe. London: Macmillan.
• 1989. A Victorian Spectator. Edited by Robert H. Tener and Malcolm Woodfield. Bristol: Bristol Press.
• 1998. A Spectator of Theatre. Edited by Robert H. Tener. Calgary: University of Calgary Press.