Robert West was born in Chowan Precinct, North Carolina in 1677. In 1713 West became a land appraiser for Chowan and later served in the North Carolina Colonial Assembly from 1715 to 1728 and on the North Carolina Council from 1724 to 1730. In addition to his position in the legislature, West also acted as a special liaison between the colonists and several American Indian nations. In 1722 he was named as a commissioner to help settle the boundary with the Tuscarora and he became a general Indian commissioner in 1725. From 1731 to 1736 he served as the colony's Indian commissioner, meaning that American Indians and colonists often came to him to settle disputes. West died in Chowan County on March 27, 1743.