Richard Holt Hutton was born in Leeds in 1826. He attended University College, London, where he met and formed a lifelong friendship with Walter Bagehot.

Hutton originally planned to become a Unitarian minister but in 1855 he joined Bagehot in editing The National Review. In 1861 Hutton became joint editor and part owner of The Spectator. Over the next few years Hutton mainly contributed reviews of contemporary literature.

Books written by Hutton include Essays: Theological and Literary (1871), Some of the Modern Guides of English Thought in Matters of Faith (1877), Criticisms on Contemporary Thought and Thinkers (1894) and Aspects of Scientific and Religious Thought (1899).

After the death of Walter Bagehot in 1877, Hutton edited two of his unfinished works, Literary Studies (1879) and Economic Studies (1880).

Richard Holt Hutton died in 1897.