Francis West was born in England, probably Hampshire, the son of Thomas West, second or eleventh Baron De La Warr, and his wife Anne, the daughter of Sir Francis Knollys. Three of his brothers participated in the establishment of the Virginia colony, Thomas, the third Baron De La Warr, and his two younger brothers, Nathaniel and John, who became planters, the latter serving as governor, from 1635 to 1637.
Francis arrived in Virginia with Newport in 1608 and was a grantee of the second charter in 1609. He was of the group that quarrelled with Captain Smith and in September deposed him in favor of George Percy and a council, of which West became a member. His attempt to establish a settlement at the falls of the James River was abandoned with the winter, and his attention was turned to the all-important problem of obtaining supplies. In a small ship he sought trade with the natives, and, failing, sailed for England before the belated arrival of Gates and Somers in May 1610. He evidently returned within the year, succeeded Percy as commander at Jamestown in 1612, was commissioned master of the ordnance in 1617, and became in time one of the most influential of the "ancient planters, " with a seat at Westover, near Berkeley Hundred. He quarrelled with Yeardley over the location of the latter plantation, which he claimed infringed upon the lands of the late Lord De La Warr, and when in England the following year joined with other old planters in petitioning for the appointment of a governor of higher birth. He seems to have become infected with the factionalism that rent the company and to have joined with the enemies of Sir Edwin Sandys. He was commissioned in November 1622 admiral of New England, but upon his arrival there the following summer he found "the fisher men to be stuberne fellows" and returned to Virginia. During these last years of the company he joined other older planters in complaints regarding the conditions of the colony, thereby contributing, though probably not intentionally, to the overthrow of the company. With its dissolution, however, he became alarmed lest this step might involve the withdrawal of the political privileges granted in 1618, and signed several protests against any such action. He continued to hold the confidence of leaders both in England and Virginia, and, succeeding Yeardley as governor in 1627, he held this post until his departure for England in March 1629. He returned by 1631, and is recorded as present at a meeting of the council in February 1633. His will, made while in England in December 1629, was proved on April 28, 1634. It is probable that he died in Virginia early in 1634.
His first wife was Margaret, the widow of Edward Blayney. His second wife was Temperance (Flowerdieu), the widow of Gov. George Yeardley. Her death occurred shortly after the marriage, and it must have been on his last trip home that he married Jane, the daughter to Sir Henry Davye. A son, Francis, mentioned in the will seems to have been the only surviving child.
