Alfred Hutton

Alfred Hutton FSA (10 March 1839 – 18 December 1910) was a British Army officer, antiquarian and writer. Serving during the Victorian era in the 1st King's Dragoon Guards, he played a major role in the revival of historical fencing in England, together with fellow fencers Egerton Castle, Ernest Stenson-Cooke, Sir Frederick Pollock and Walter Herries Pollock.

Early life Alfred Hutton was born on 10 March 1839 at Beverley, Yorkshire the eleventh and youngest child and seventh son of Henry William Hutton (1787–1848) and his wife Marianne (before 1795–1879), only child of John Fleming of Beverley. Henry W Hutton was a captain in the 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards, retired 1811.

Alfred attended Blackheath Proprietary School (Lewisham), matriculated at University College, Oxford, on 25 November 1857.

Military career

His military career began on 31 May 1859, when he joined the 79th (Cameron) Highlanders as an Ensign. On arrival at the depot of his regiment at Perth he soon proved himself an expert fencer.

On 8 October 1911 a memorial tablet - In Memoriam Captain Alfred Hutton Late The King's Dragoon Guards Born March 10, 1839 Died December 18, 1910. A Great Swordsman And Writer On The Art. RIP. - was unveiled in the chancel of St Mary's Church (Astbury) by Lieutenant General Sir Edward Hutton, his nephew.

Several works of Alfred Hutton have been republished in the past decade: Old sword play: techniques of the great masters (2001, 2010), The sword through the centuries (2002) (original title: The Sword and the Centuries or Old Sword Days and Old Sword Ways), Cold steel: the art of fencing with the sabre (2006).

Family His mother, Marianne (died 19 January 1879, aged 87) and two sisters: Harriott (died 18 January 1906) and Marianne Eleanor (died 31 January 1908, aged 95) were also buried in the churchyard of St Mary's Church. One of his brothers, Henry John died in 1846 and was buried in the Beverly Cathedral, a memorial tablet: can be found there. Most volumes bound for Hutton are in vellum, with red leather lettering pieces on the upper covers and backs. Upper covers are gold blocked with Hutton's name in Gothic type and his armorial crest.

Further collections of books formerly owned by him are the Corble Collection, located at the Universiteitsbibliotheek at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, and the Emil Fick Library, located at the Livrustkammaren (Sweden).

Commemorations

In May 2013 the Forteza Western martial arts studio in Chicago commemorated Hutton via the dedication of the Captain Alfred Hutton Lounge, incorporating a library, research center, museum of historical swords and weapons, art gallery of 19th century fencing prints and a social space.

Works Swordsmanship (1862), written for the members of the Cameron Fencing Club (Simla) Swordsmanship, for the use of soldiers (1866) Swordsmanship and Bayonet-fencing (1867) The Cavalry Swordsman (1867) Bayonet-fencing and Sword-practice (1882)

Cold Steel: a practical treatise on the sabre, based on the old English backsword play of the Eighteenth century, combined with the method of the modern Italian school. Also on various other weapons of the present day, including the short sword-bayonet and the constable’s truncheon. Illustrated with numerous figures, and also with reproductions of engravings from masters of bygone years (1889) Our Daggers: or, how to use the new bayonet (1890) Fixed Bayonets. A complete system of fence for the British magazine rifle, explaining the uses of the point, edges, and butt, both in offence and defence: comprising also a glossary of English, French, and Italian terms common to the art of fencing, with a bibliographical list of works affecting the bayonet (1890) The Swordsman. A manual of fence for the three arms, foil, sabre, and bayonet. With an appendix consisting of a code of rules for assaults, competitions (1891) Old Swordplay: A glance at the systems of fence in vogue during the XVIth, XVIIth, and XVIIIth centuries, with lessons arranged from the works of various ancient masters for the practical study of the use of the picturesque arms borne of forefathers (1892) Our Swordsmanship (1893), lecture at the Royal United Service Institution, Whitehall Notes on Ancient Fence (1895), a descriptive account of the 16th-century swordplay, at the Albany Club (Kingston upon Thames), by members of the school of arms, London Rifle Brigade under the direction of Captain Alfred Hutton, FSA and Ernest Stenson Cooke, Esq. With notes on 'Ancient fence' by Captain A Hutton and on the bibliography of the art of fence, by Captain C A Thimm, FRGS The infantry sword exercises of 1895 A criticism of the infantry sword exercise of 1895 (1896) Sword Fighting and Sword Play (1897), The Indian Fencing Review The Swordsman. A manual of fence for the foil, sabre and bayonet (1898) Examples of Ju Jitsu, or Japanese Wrestling for Schoolboys (undated, around 1900) Ju jitsu The Sword and the Centuries or Old Sword Days and Old Sword Ways: being a description of the various swords used in civilized Europe during the last five centuries, and of single combats which have been fought with them (1901)