The progenitor of the American Hancock family line was William Hancock who was born about 1580 in England.

He was a member of The Virginia Company of London that was created by King James I for the purpose of colonizing in America. The first settlement was established at Jamestown in 1607. As an investor in the Virginia Company, William sailed to Jamestown in 1619 aboard the "Margaret" of Bristol arriving at Jamestown in1620 for the purpose of obtaining timber for his shipbuilding business according to the family Bible. He was also a member of a group that founded Berkeley Hundred Plantation and resided at Capt. George Thorpe's House there on the plantation.

On 22 March 1622 the settlement was attacked by Indians and William, along with about 350 other settlers were massacred by Indians at Berkeley Hundred Plantation on Friday, March 21, 1692. (Note: Virginia Historical Collections, Vol 8, p. 278, confirms the death of William Hancock at Berkeley Hundred Plantation)
.
Shortly after 1630, three of William's son Augustine came to Virginia to claim his father's vast estate. Son Simon came in 1635, settling in Princess Anne County, and son William came in 1638. Augustine, Simon and William became wealthy, prominent planters in Virginia.