SEX scandals and "she devils" will be some of the topics discussed at open course lectures taking place at the University of York.

The lectures, which will take place throughout May and June, will look at women in York from the Middle Ages to the present day. Some of the subjects include 18th century female merchant tailors, female criminals during the 19th century and female residents of York Retreat Asylum.

The contribution women made to York Minster will also be discussed along with experiences of female Rowntree workers during the 20th century.

Dr Jeremy Goldberg, from the Centre of Medieval Studies, said: "Our knowledge of women's lives back then is so much coloured by the experience of queens and great ladies that we can all too easily lose sight of the less privileged and hence less well documented."

The series will be made up of a combination of workshops and lectures.

All the lectures are free and open to the public. For more details, visit www.york.ac.uk or phone the university on 01904 430000.

Updated: 12:28 Wednesday, April 21, 2004