The fifth son and twelfth child of Thomas West, 2nd Baron De La Warr, was born at Testwood in Hampshire, England.

His brother Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr was the largest investor in the London Company which received a charter to establish settlers in the New World, then financed several voyages, including those which founded a settlement at Jamestown in 1609.

[2] In 1630, authorities made the decision to plant a settlement on the York River: "... for the securing & taking in of a tract of Land called ye fforest bordering uppon the cheife residence of ye Pamunkey King the most dangerous head of the Indian enemy ..." John West received one of the first grants issued for this purpose, 600 acres "on the east side of Felgates".

In the spring of 1637 West was ordered to England to answer related mutiny charges in the Star Chamber, along with neighbor John Utie, Samuel Matthews (captain), and William Peirce (burgess).

In May 1651, West patented 1,550 acres even further upstream on the York River's south branch[8] that he would later sell to Major William Lewis.

In March 1659/1660, the Virginia Assembly passed the following act in recognition of his family's services to the colonial enterprise: WHEREAS the many important favours and services rendred to the countrey of Virginia by the noble family of the West, predecessors to Mr. John West, their now only survivor, claim at least that a gratefull remembrance of their former merrits be still continued to their survivor, It is ordered, That the levies of the said master West and his family be remitted, and that he be exempted from payment thereof during life.

His will (dated 28 September 1734) left the West Point estate to his mother, and after her death to his first cousin Thomas West (son of his father's brother Thomas) "and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, for ever ..." The entail was broken in November 1761, when a trust was established to enable 1,000 acres of the land to be sold in order to purchase slaves.