Alvin was the great-grandson of Henry Hancock, the brother of John Hancock, signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Alvin Bemis Hancock's parents were:
Joseph Euclio Hancock, b. May 7, 1822 in Euclid, Cuyahoga County, OH. and d. Jul. 18, 1924 at the age of 102 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA. &
Nancy Augusta Bemis, b. Jun. 14, 1829 in Ellisburg, Jefferson County, NY. and d. Jun. 15, 1908 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA.

On Aug. 31, 1848, Joseph marr. (his 2nd wife), Nancy Augusta Bemis in Council Bluffs, IA.

Joseph & Nancy Hancock's children were:
1. Alvin R. Hancock, b. 1848 and d. 1849
2. Alvin Bemis Hancock, b. Jan. 13, 1850 in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, IA. and d. Nov. 24, 1896 by suicide (ingesting poison), in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA. Alvin marr. Elizabeth Penman Nish.
2. Elenorah/Elnora Hancock, b. Mar. 19, 1851 in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, IA. (-who was almost buried alive as a tiny infant) and d. Jan. 26, 1949 in Highland, San Bernardino County, CA. Elenorah marr. George Miller
3. Solomon Hancock, b. Nov. 11, 1852 in Ogden, Weber county, UT. and d. Apr. 4, 1901 (in an insane asylum) in Highland, San Bernardino, CA. Solomon marr. Eudora Hammack.
4. Jerusha Hancock, b. Aug. 30, 1854 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA. and d. Nov. 18, 1953 at the age of 99 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA. Jerusha marr. Charles Hudson Tyler.
5. Lucina Harriet Hancock, b. Apr. 29, 1856 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA. and d. Apr. 22, 1938 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA. Lucina marr. George L. Lord
6. Foster K. Hancock, b. Oct. 21, 1857 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA. and d. Jul. 5, 1934 of a heart attack in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA. Foster marr. Catherine Mapstead.
7. Joseph Nephi Hancock, b. Nov. 25, 1867 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA. and d. Mar. 3, 1917 by suicide (gunshot wound), in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA.

According to the 1850 Pottawattamie County, Iowa Annotated Record of US Census,
9 mth. old Alvin B. Hancock, b. Jan. 13, 1850 in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, IA. was living with his parents:
29 yr. old Joseph Elucid Hancock
21 yr. old Nancy Augusta (Bemis) Hancock.

In the Jun. 22, 1860 U. S. census, 19 yr. old Alvin Hantock, (Hancock), b. in IA., was living in San Bernardino, San Bernardino, CA. with his
37 yr. old (inferred) father, Joseph Hantock (Hancock), a farmer, b. in OH.
31 yr. old (inferred) mother, Nancy Hantock (Hancock), b. in NY.
9 yr. old (inferred) sister, Elnorah Hantock (Hancock), b. in IA.
7 yr. old (inferred) brother, Solomon Hantock [Hancock], attending school, b. in UT.
5 yr. old (inferred) sister, Jerusha Hantock (Hancock), b. in CA.
4 yr. old (inferred) sister, Lucina Hantock, (Hancock), b. in CA.
2 yr. old (inferred) brother, Foster Hantock, (Hancock), b. in CA.

In the 1870 U. S. census, 20 yr. old Alvin Hancock, a farm laborer, b. in IA., was living in San Bernardino, San Bernardino, CA. with his
48 yr. old (inferred) father, Joseph Hancock, a farmer, b. in OH.
41 yr. old (inferred)mother, Nancy Hancock, b. in NY.
19 yr. old (nferred) sister, Elnora Hancock, b. in IA.
17 yr. old (inferred) brother, Soloman Hancock, b. in UT.
15 yr. old (inferred) sister, Jerusha Hancock, b. in CA.
14 yr. old (inferred) sister, Suana (Lucina) Hancock, attending school, b. in CA.
12 yr. old (inferred) brother, Forster (Foster) Hancock, attending school, b. in CA.
3 yr. old (inferred) brother, Joseph N Hancock, b. in CA.
Joseph Sr.'s real estate was valued at $400 and his personal estate at $2,000.

In the Jun. 12, 1880 U. S. census, 30 yr. old Alvin B. Hancock, working on the farm, b. in IA., was living at 86 8th St. in San Bernardino Twp., San Bernardino, CA. with his
58 yr. old father, Joseph Hancock, a farmer and stock dealer, b. in OH.
50 yr. old mother, Nancy Hancock, keeping house, b. in NY.
28 yr. old brother, Solomon Hancock, engaged to be married and working on the farm, b. in Utah Territory
26 yr. old sister, Jerusha Hancock, b. in CA.
13 yr. old brother, Joseph N. Hancock, b. in CA.
Joseph Sr.' father was b. in MA. and his mother in VT.
Nancy's parents were both b. in VT.

Alvin Hancock and Elizabeth Penrose (Nish) were marr. on June 1, 1882.

Alvin and Elizabeth Hancock's children were:
1. Robert Almon Hancock, b. Mar. 18, 1883 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA. and d. Jul. 4, 1960 in Colton, San Bernardino County, CA. Robert marr. Eula Hamilton.
2. William Joseph Hancock, b. Nov. 6, 1885 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA. and d. Feb. 19, 1961 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA. He marr. Ann Croston on Oct. 9, 1912.
3. Leslie Ernest Hancock, b. Oct. 21, 1887 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA. and d. Sep. 16, 1967 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, UT. He marr. Ethel Viola Gale on Jun. 1, 1916.
4. James Alvin (Alvin James) Hancock, b. Sep. 7, 1889 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA. and d. Nov. 7, 1964 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA. He marr. Mabel Sharpless on Feb. 24, 1915.
5. Beauford Augustus 'Smiley' Hancock, b. Mar. 8, 1892 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA. and d. Apr. 2, 1949 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA. He marr., first, __ Snow and 2nd, Olga Koch.
6. Albert Earl Hancock, b. Jan. 31, 1894 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA. and d. Nov. 7, 1962 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA. He marr. Nellie Van Leuven on Oct. 25, 1916.
7. Walter Clyde Hancock, b. Oct. 12, 1895 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, CA. and d. Nov. 10, 1969 in San Diego county, CA. He marr. first, (and divorced) Helen Bradshaw and 2nd, Florence Brenton.

The Daily Sun (San Bernardino, CA.), P. 4, Col. 3
Sun., Oct. 13, 1895
Item from: CITY NEWS IN BRIEF
Yesterday morning the family of Alvin Hancock was increased by the arrival of a boy. This is the seventh son so far in the family circle without the appearance of a solitary girl, and the happy father thinks it is getting monotonous. They are of the good old John Hancock stock of revolutionary fame, and of such there is no possibility of having too much.

The Weekly Sun (San Bernardino, CA.), P. 3, Col. 3-4
Sat., Oct. 26, 1895
GOOD FELLOWSHIP
Magnificent Banquet Spread For a Very Prosperous Lodge
The growth of Odd Fellowship in this city is very marked, and Token Lodge, No. 290, is wide-awake and securing a goodly share of the members coming into the order, and is in a very flourishing and prosperous condition, with almost weekly use for the traditional animal that candidates are said to cavort around upon.
Saturday there was an attendance of about fifty members of the fraternal three links to witness the initiation into the mysteries of a new candidate who wished to become an Odd Fellow.
At the close of the ceremonies all hands repaired to the Grand Central hotel, where they expected to find a slight repast or lunch, but instead they had spread before them one of the best banquets of the season. It was worthy to place before a coterie of millionaires or even a half-million club.
The boys were delighted with their spread and they now swear by the Grand Central and will in future vote a banquet pretty often. While there were no set after-dinner speeches the flow of wit and repartee that went around among the merry throng kept them all in the best of spirits. One of the most active members of the craft is Alvin Hancock, and as he has now, although quite a young man, seven boys of his own around his family fireside, he was a prominent member at the board. In his remarks he predicted a great boom in oddfellowship when his family were old enough to join. They would be a great acquisition to Token Lodge. Token Lodge I.O.O.F., No. 290, is not a very old organization but it is composed of active workers and will make a good name for itself as a fraternal and benevolent institution.

The Los Angeles Herald (Los Angeles, CA.), P. 5
Wed., Nov. 25, 1896
Word has been brought from the home of Alvin Hancock that he committed suicide by taking poison. For some days he has been suffering from a carbuncle and for relief has been taking the Christian science treatment. But the treatment failed to help Mr. Hancock and today he sought relief by taking a dose of poison, with fatal result. The inquest will take place this evening, when fuller particulars will be obtained.

The Daily Sun (San Bernardino, CA.), P. 3, Col. 2
Wed., Nov. 25, 1896
WITH OXALIC ACID
Alvin B. Hancock Commits Suicide
THE REASON FOR THE ACT
Depression Follows Sickness - He Was also Perplexed by a Weak Faith in Christian Science - He Leaves a Wife and Family - Funeral Arrangements
Alvin B. Hancock, a well to do rancher living in the northwestern part of the city, was found in his barn yesterday just after noon, suffering from the effects of poison which it is supposed he had taken with suicidal intent, and he died a few moments after having been carried to the house. As yet nothing has been discovered which would contradict the theory of suicide, and the dying man's own words, saying that he was sorry, would seem to substantiate that belief.
Hancock was a prosperous rancher, 45 years of age, with a wife and seven children, and well known and respected by the people of this city, where he has resided for many years/ His suicide, if such it shall prove to be, can only be explained on the ground of temporary insanity, produced by physical suffering, and by religious excitement.
He had been suffering from a malignant carbuncle (a red, swollen, and painful cluster of boils that are connected to each other under the skin) for seven weeks, and the treatment of it had been queer mixture of Christian Science and medicine prescribed by the physicians. About seven weeks ago, or to be exact, October 3, he went to Dr. C. A. MacKechnie, and asked him to treat the carbuncle. This the physician agreed to do and at once began to prescribe, but from the first he was puzzled at the effect which he supposed was the result of the medicines. It seemed to be impossible to control the carbuncle, or make it yield to treatment, and it was the better part of two weeks before the doctor found that his treatment was being diluted with Christian Science in large doses, and he forthwith told Hancock that if he could not follow directions implicitly another physician had better be engaged.
Hancock then went to Dr. G. B. Rowell, but the latter had no better success, being unable to force Hancock to follow directions, since the latter would yield himself to the treatments of the Scientists as soon as he was away from the doctor's office. Of course the carbuncle was growing worse all the time, and the man suffered untold miseries from the affliction.
Although under Dr. Rowell he seemed to get away somewhat from the influence of the scientists, and the carbuncle began to yield. But he was still harassed by his mother and sister, both of whom are earnest scientists, and they tried to prevail on him to give up the treatment of the regular physicians, urging him that he could get no benefit from it and also that it was a sin.
Latterly, however, he seemed to have been improving, both physically and mentally, and the fits of melancholia, which formerly had been frequent, now came less often, and he was generally in better spirits. The carbuncle had nearly healed and he was able to be about the place and do some work on the ranch.
Yesterday he went out into the field in the forenoon, and then back to the barn, and it was here that the man employed on the farm found him at noon. Hancock was sitting on a box in the barn, and he motioned to the man to come to him, and asked to be assisted to the house. The farmer could not lift Hancock alone, so he called Mrs. Hancock, and then other assistance was summoned, and the sick man carried into the house.
Close by where he was sitting in the barn, a bottle nearly filled with oxalic acid was found. It was used for testing milk, but it is a deadly poison, and Hancock admitted that he had taken some of it, and that he was sorry. Soon after he relapsed into unconsciousness, and Dr. Rowell, who was summoned, was unable to counteract the effect of the poison. Hancock died a little later.
Coroner Keating is at Vanderbilt, looking up the case of a Chinaman who died recently, and Judge Soule took charge of the inquest here. He impanelled a jury during the afternoon, and went to the house to view the remains. The inquest will be continued at Judge Soule's office today at 10 o'clock.
The funeral has been announced for Friday, at 10 o'clock, and will be held from the family residence on Base Line, 1st of Mt. Vernon avenue.

The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, CA.), P. 11, Col. 2
Fri., Nov. 27, 1896
Item from: SAN BERNARDINO BREVITIES
The funeral of Alvin B. Hancock who committed suicide by taking sulphuric acid, will be held Friday morning under the auspices of the local Odd fellows lodge.

The St. Helena Star (St. Helena, CA.), P. 1, Col. 4
Fri., Dec. 11, 1896
Item from: ALONG THE COAST
The coroner's jury over the body of Alvin B. Hancock of San Bernardino renders a verdict of death with suicidal intent induced by melancholia.

Alvin died leaving a widow and 7 sons, ranging in age from 11 months to 13 years.