Ill repute to beset Hancock, initially at the top? (2,5)
I believe the answer is:
up there
'the top?' is the definition.
I know nothing about this answer so I can't judge whether this works.
'ill repute to beset hancock initially' is the wordplay.
'ill' indicates an anagram.
'to beset' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'initially' indicates taking the first letters.
The initial letter of 'hancock' is 'h'.
'repute' is an anagram of 'uptere'.
'uptere' placed around 'h' is 'UP THERE'.
'at' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for up there that I've seen before include "in heaven?" , "Among the best" .)