Thomas Luten was a resident of Chowan Precinct, Albemarle County. After serving as a justice of the Chowan Precinct Court from 1694 to 1695, in 1698 he was appointed provost marshal. In 1701, likely due to his position as provost marshal, he was empowered to find and arrest three American Indians who had allegedly threatened a colonist. He later represented Chowan in the colonial assembly and served as a justice of the North Carolina General Court from 1727 to 1730. He died in about March 1731.