Francis Tomes was born in about 1633 and arrived in North Carolina by 1664. In 1684 became a justice of the North Carolina General Court and also became a member of the North Carolina Council, serving in that body until 1705. A resident of Perquimans Precinct, Tomes' political influence had waned by 1707, likely due in part to his identity as a Quaker. He died on June 3, 1712.