Although many names, such as those of Martha Clendinning and Matilda Dixie, have been recorded, most early Ballarat women are harder to trace.

Often they are referred to merely by their husband's names such as ``Mrs John Smith''.

Margaret Guthrie was born in 1826 at Ballyvaughan, County Clare, Ireland.

She was one of the women in Ballarat in the early 1850s, emigrating to Australia on the Garland, with her sister Bridget, in 1852. Other members of her family also settled in Ballarat.

She married Dennis Kinnane in March , 1853.

It was one of the first marriages in the St Alipius registers, being handwritten by Fr Matthew Downing.

St Alipius, around this time, moved from its site near the junction of Humffray and Water streets to its present site in Victoria St.

It was a little church built of slabs and canvas, and roofed with bark.

The altar was ``of the most primitive character, little stakes being fixed in the ground being freely used''.

Margaret's first son, John, was born in April, 1854, and baptised by the same priest who had officiated at her marriage.

She was recorded on the baptismal certificate as Margaret Guttary and her husband as Dennis Cannon, a `` Gold Miner at Eureka''.

It is interesting to note the spelling, as often surnames were spelt phonetically and the spelling changes drastically (depending on the accent of the bearer and the nationality of the person recording the information).

I found more information about Margaret Kinnane in a newsworthy incident captioned ``The Fruit Garden Outrage'' which hit the pages of the "Ballarat Star" in 1864.

This enabled me to find out much more about this feisty character.

Her husband was accused of cutting down 32 fruit trees ``in full bearing'' on his neighbours', the Hoskings, property at Fellmonger's (now on Daylesford Rd near the Brewery Tap Rd).

On further investigation it appears that his wife, Margaret, had allowed her pigs to wander into the neighbour's paddock and the two women were at loggerheads because of the damage the animals had caused in the adjoining garden.

The argument spilled over to involve husbands and others. The court proceedings, accusations, and counter accusations, provided entertaining reading, with the case being dismissed and Dennis being acquitted because of the lack of evidence.

Dennis and Margaret later settled with their family in Humffray St Ballarat East, near Bawden's grocery shop. Descendants are still in the area.

* If you would like to share any information please contact info@ballaratheritage.com.au or write to Dot Wickham, PO Box 2209, Ballarat Mail Centre, 3354.