early 14th century) was an English nun, who, unhappy with her monastic and enclosed life, at some point in 1318 escaped from St Clement's by York priory to journey to Beverley, where she was accused of living with a man.

When the Archbishop of York, William Melton, heard of this, he wrote to the religious authorities in Beverley expounding upon Joan's faults and instructing that she be returned forthwith to St Clement's.

[3] Joan's motives for escaping the nunnery are unknown, but the Archbishop put it down to a desire to follow "the way of carnal lust", which she was unable to do in orders[3] having taken vows of poverty and chastity.

[2] In a letter to the Dean of Beverley, Melton wrote: Out of a malicious mind simulating a bodily illness, she pretended to be dead, not dreading for the health of her soul, and with the help of numerous of her accomplices, evildoers, with malice aforethought, crafted a dummy in the likeness of her body ... [she had] no shame in procuring its burial in a sacred space ... She perverted her path of life arrogantly to the way of carnal lust and away from poverty and obedience.

[3] In 1301, another nun known only as Cecily had met a group of mounted men by the priory gate; throwing off her habit, she put on an ordinary gown and escaped to Darlington where she lived with one Gregory de Thornton for the next three years.

[7] Only the year before Joan of Leeds' escape Melton had instructed the priory that "the frequent access of men and women to the house was not to be allowed, lest evil or scandal should arise".

[7][note 2] Problems continued at Clementhorpe, however; in 1318, Melton rebuked the priory for failing to enforce appropriate silence in the cloister,[11] and, following further issues with troublesome nuns, de Methelay resigned as Prioress in 1324.

[17] In July 2019 "The Stage" announced that the story of Joan of Leeds would be performed at the New Diorama Theatre, London, in December that year, describing it as an "alternative Christmas show".

[18] The theatre advertised the production as "alt-festive Christmas show Joan of Leeds—a thoroughly immoral medieval mystery play with live music, based on the farcical true story of a nun on the run".