cutting was the grandson of william cutting and gertrude (née livingston) cutting. through his paternal grandmother, he was a direct descendant of walter livingston (the first speaker of the new york state assembly) and robert livingston (the third and last lord of livingston manor). his maternal grandparents were william heyward and sarah (née cruger) heyward. through his uncle fulton cutting and aunt elise bayard cutting, he was a first cousin of attorney and merchant william bayard cutting and financier robert fulton cutting.