James Tomkins was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons

House of Commons of England

The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...

 between 1624 and 1629.

Tomkins was of Monnington on Wye, Herefordshire, but also owned Garnestone, a considerable domain south of Weobley.

In 1624, Tomkins was elected Member of Parliament

Member of Parliament

A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...

 for Leominster

Leominster (UK Parliament constituency)

Leominster was, until 2010, a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.From 1295 to 1868, it was a parliamentary borough which elected two Members of Parliament by the bloc vote system of election. Under the Reform Act 1867 its...

. He was re-elected in 1625 and 1626. Tomkins was instrumental in restoring the franchise to the borough of Weobley

Weobley (UK Parliament constituency)

Weobley was a parliamentary borough in Herefordshire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons in 1295 and from 1628 until 1832, when the borough was abolished by the Great Reform Act.- MPs 1628–1660 :...

 in 1628, when his son William

William Tomkins

William Tomkins was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1628 and in 1640.Tomkins was the son of James Tomkins of Monnington on Wye, Herefordshire, and of Garnestone south of Weobley....

was returned. Tomkins himself was re-elected MP for Leominster in 1628 and sat until 1629 when King Charles decided to rule without parliament for eleven years. Tomkins was much esteemed as a country gentleman and noted debater in the House of Commons.