I am new at this so please bear with me... I have joined several Rootsweb groups and have been able to find out very little about the McKinster family. My mother's father was Alexander McKinster. He eventually settled in Eau Claire/Chippewa Falls, WI area and he and his wife raised a large family. I understand that he moved to Hamilton, Missouri from Potter Co. Pennsylvania and that he may have been born somewhere in New York. (?) His father according to my best information was Joseph McKinster and Samantha Belle Jones McKinster.His Grandfather, Titus McKinster, and his grandmother was either Hannah or Anna Peters or Peterson(Dutch-Holland)McKinster. One of the Census documents from Potter Co. lists Titus as having come from New Jersey...another lists Rhode Island. In a another handwritten note, Icke McKinster is noted as Titus' father with his mother being Hannah Peterson(or who knows? Anna Peters???) I have not been able to find any of these names on shiplists, census reports--------but it is said that they emigrated to America very early. I have searched the Clan lists and do not find McKinster. Every list I see I look for the McKinster name---------Does anyone know any connection with Scotland. It has to be a very rare name---or perhaps it may be a variation of another name(McAllister?????) In some of the handwritten pieces, the name is written Mac Kinster as well as Mckinster...my mother says it could have been McKinstry. Does anyone have any insight into the origin? Has anyone seen this name in any of the genealogical documents. I know the names of his Alex's brother and sisters...but am just unable at this point to go back any further than his siblings and parents. I do not know where Titus and Hannah or Anna or Icke and Hannah or Anna are buried. I do know that Titus and "Hannah" lived for awhile in Sharon Center in Pennsylvania with their son Joseph and daughter in law Samantha---and their children. Any assistance you can give me would be appreciated. Pat