Dr. Hutton in Leeds, since though his elder brothers had been sent to a public school, his large family was proving expensive to educate.
Aged nineteen, he was indentured to George Stephenson for "four years and eight months from 5 October 1829 in the occupation or business of a civil engineer," and went to live with him at his home with the other apprentices.
Within a year he was made private secretary, succeeding Daniel Gooch and continued in that position until Stephenson moved to Ashby-de-la-Zouch.
He assisted Stephenson in building the Liverpool and Manchester Railway and drove one of the engines, “Arrow,” which drew the first passenger train.
He and Swanwick travelled the route on the 5th and 6 August, and the latter carried out further inspections with his assistants, meeting George Stephenson at Sheffield to discuss their future plans.
Confidence in his capability was such that in 1836 he was present at the House of Lords to give evidence to the Committee about these three lines, as well as on the proposed Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway.
Again, Stephenson, who was wishing to concentrate in exploiting the coal in Leicestershire and in Clay Cross, delegated to him the responsibility for almost the entire work involved in its construction.
He continued as resident engineer of the North Midland Railway until 1844, and played a leading role in the formation of Midland Railway taking the various bills through Parliament, and then supervising the work on new lines and reconstruction of existing ones, among them the Nottingham and Mansfield, Nottingham and Lincoln, the Erewash Valley Line and the Mansfield and Pinxton.
In 1869 he became a Justice of the Peace for the county of Derby and was active in the Liberal Party, resisting invitations to stand for Parliament.