Francis Tomes (1780-1869)

He was born in England at Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire. His father died when he was five and the family's financial situation meant that Francis had to start work when he was still a teenager as a clerk to Edward Lewis who had a trading business in Birmingham. He married Maria Roberts in 1812 and started up on his account soon afterwards, but failed. In 1815, Lewis re-hired him as a partner to open up a branch of his business in New York City under the name of "Lewis & Tomes". The firm imported British manufactured goods to New York and exported cotton from the United States to England. Travelling frequently between England and the States, as well as all over the States, his journals are kept at the Newberry Library in Chicago. The business quickly became so successful that Tomes bought out Lewis and it became "Francis Tomes & Sons" after his sons (Francis and Benjamin) joined him as partners. He adopted (but was never granted) a coat-of-arms. He retired to England, dying at Longstone, Derbyshire.