Robert Barton (1630–1693), grandfather of Cutts Barton, was from
Brigstock in north-east Northamptonshire. Brigstock Park in
Rockingham Forest belonged to the
Duke of Montagu, later passing to the
Duke of Cleveland. The patronage of St Andrew Holborn, the living of Cutts Barton, was noted in 1754 as being with the "Duke of Montagu's heirs": Geoffrey Barton, Cutts Barton's father, was a half-brother of
Catherine Barton. The
Bishop of Bangor wrote in 1722 to the Duke about the "approaching vacancy at St. Andrew's", in favour of "Mr. Barton". The incumbent at St Andrew Holborn was then
Henry Sacheverell, who died in 1724. His replacement at St Andrew was Geoffrey Barton the younger, elder brother to Cutts, who was also a chaplain to
Robert Walpole: he died in 1734. The Rev. Michael Broughton, Rector of
Barnwell St Andrew, wrote in 1747 to
Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond about a house party at
Boughton House, the Montagu seat. Barton had travelled there with the Duke of Montagu in his
post chaise, which had broken down. Having ridden the post horses for a few miles, they borrowed a
two-wheel chaise. The party lasted around four weeks, and communicated with nearby
Drayton House and
Lady Elizabeth Germain. In 1748, with some possible allusion to the chaise incident, the Duke of Richmond invited Barton to
Goodwood House with the Duke of Montagu,
Sir Thomas Robinson and
James Brudenell among others. Barton is described by the
8th Duke of Richmond as "one of a select and jovial coterie" that visited both ducal Boughton and Goodwood. John Montagu, the 2nd Duke, died in 1749, and his heir and son-in-law,
George Brudenell who changed surname to Montagu, became 1st Duke of Montagu of the second creation in 1766. Meanwhile, he used the title Earl of Cardigan. Barton made himself useful to the Earl of Cardigan in the 1760s, buying for him land adjacent to the site of the future Buccleuch House on the
River Thames. It included areas of
Richmond Hill, London that are now part of the Terrace Gardens. ==In literature==