Young Thoroughgood was from a prominent family in King's Lynn, Norfolk, England, the ninth son of the Rector of Grimston, Rev.

Early in his life he became interested in immigrating to the Americas when he heard about exploits in Virginia from some of the members of Henry Spelman's family who lived in Congham, a mile to the north of Grimston.

This area had been passed by when the earlier settlements of the London Colony such as Jamestown were established beginning in 1607 in favor of locations further inland which would be less susceptible to attacks by other European forces, such as the Spanish.

Despite his widespread and long-lasting influence in South Hampton Roads, his choice of residence was along the Lynnhaven River, also named for his home in England.

In 1635, he earned a land patent for over 5,000 acres (20 km2) in this area for having earlier persuaded 105 new residents to settle in Virginia, including Augustine Warner, an ancestor of both President George Washington and General Robert E. Lee.