Womanly wiles

Elizabeth was committed to York Retreat Asylum in 1881. A 44-year-old single woman, she was diagnosed as suffering from delusional insanity brought on by a prolapsed uterus. Her residence started well. She enjoyed reading, needlework and games and seemed to be making progress.

But her condition soon took a turn for the worse. She began to suspect the assistant medical officer was in love with her, and refused to communicate with him other than by inarticulate grunting noises.

By September 1895, Elizabeth was declaring herself Lady Simpson W Rothschild Napoleon. And by December she was dead.

This is just one of the fascinating case studies that make up a series of free, open lectures and workshops being held at York University until the end of June.

The series, which addresses the varied experiences of women in York from medieval times to the modern day, was the brainchild of graduate teaching assistants Melissa Hollander and Louise Wannell, both 26 and studying for a PhD.

"We knew there was a lot of interesting research going on that included a lot of incredible stories," says Melissa. "This seemed an obvious way of letting York people know what women's lives were really like."

"These are not the stories of average York women, whoever they may have been," Louise continued. "This is the interesting stuff; the juicy bits."

Among the eight lectures and workshops taking place from May 4 to June 22, Louise and Melissa's own contributions are arguably among the juiciest.

Melissa's workshop on May 11 goes under the enviable title of Sex & Scandal and looks at courtship and paternity disputes in 16th century York.

For the women of the early modern era the process of meeting a man, negotiating a proposal and becoming married was fraught with danger. They were taken advantage of in numerous ways, from the refusal of a promised marriage to being abandoned with an unwanted pregnancy.

But women were not without their own wiles.

"Women could be manipulative too," says Melissa. "Some were brought before the church courts for accepting gifts from a man and then refusing to accept marriage.

"In other cases, women could be counted on to stick together - particularly in the birthing chamber.

"In one such case a man, most unusually, was in the birthing chamber when the woman gave birth.

"He immediately denied the child was his and refused to kiss the woman before leaving. The other women in the chamber went after him, dragged him back and made him kiss her."

Perhaps surprisingly, evidence suggests that women were given an equal hearing in the courts and that, in the main, fair judgements were handed down by the all-male judiciary.

"You have to remember that most of the judges were married," says Melissa. "They knew if they dealt with a case unfairly they would have to deal with their wife when they got home."

Louise's workshop on June 8 looks at the lives of women patients committed to York Retreat Asylum from 1870-1900, and includes the colourful story of Miss Elizabeth W - or Lady Simpson W Rothschild Napoleon as she liked to be called towards the end of her life.

At the time, the Retreat was very much a middle-class institution: a place where a family might consider putting an unruly daughter intent on pursuing her studies; an ageing spinster aunt unable to secure a passable marriage; or a mother struggling to cope with the pressures of raising her children.

"The Retreat was famous for its use of moral therapy," says Louise. "It encouraged patients to go for walks, to dance and to sew. It also used a lot of drugs."

The asylum had a definite air of Victorian abundance. It was well-decorated and comfortable, but the female patients couldn't escape the fact that they literally couldn't escape.

"In a few cases, patients were committed at the age of 17 and were never released," says Louise. "In other cases they were out within a year. Either way, it is debatable whether the treatment actually did them any good."

Other highlights of the lecture/workshop series (the workshops involve smaller groups of about 40 and have a more participatory approach) include Professor Claire Cross's talk on the contribution women made to the Minster between the Reformation and the Civil War; Between the She-Devils and Saints, the intriguing title of a lecture by Dr Sue Grace on female criminality in 19th century York; and a workshop by Emma Roberts discussing women's experiences of working at the Rowntree factory from 1936-89.

This last workshop, which takes place on June 22, is proving to be a particularly popular choice since the news of the Terry's factory closure broke last week.

"I don't know whether it has made people feel nostalgic or has simply given the issue added relevance, but we have had a massive response since the news emerged," says Melissa.

The sessions are free and open to anyone - although it is wise to book a place in advance. You don't have to have any previous knowledge of the subject and you don't have to attend the full course, just whatever piques your interest.

This might sound as if the public reaps the rewards while Melissa and Louise do all the hard work. But this could not be further from the truth. In their eyes, this is a two-way street.

"We get to show off our research, work with highly-respected people in our own field and meet a lot of interesting people from York, some of whom might have their own perspectives on our areas of research," says Melissa. You never know, we might actually learn something."

For more details and a full list of topics, phone 01904 430000 or visit www.york.ac.uk. Numbers are limited, but places can be pre-booked by emailing Melissa Hollander on mkh104@york.ac.uk

Updated: 09:39 Tuesday, April 27, 2004