Geoffrey Chaucer Biography

Geoffrey Chaucer was an English poet and author. He is well known for The Canterbury Tales and is widely regarded as the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages. He has been referred to as the "Father of English Literature" or "Father of English Poetry." He was the first writer to be buried in Westminster Abbey's Poets' Corner, which is now known as Poets' Corner. In the civil service, he worked as a bureaucrat, courtier, diplomat, and member of parliament. At a time when the dominant literary languages in England were still French and Latin, he is credited for helping to legitimise the use of Middle English in literature. Thomas Hoccleve, a contemporary of Chaucer, praised him as "the firste fyndere of our fair language." Chaucerian texts are the source of about two thousand English terms. In this article, we will cover Geoffrey Chaucer early life, his later life, public service and facts. 

Geoffrey Chaucer Early Life

Chaucer was most likely born in London in the early 1340s (some sources claim he was born in 1343, including his monument), however, the exact date and location are unknown. His father and grandparents were also London vintners, and several generations before them had worked as Ipswich merchants. His surname comes from the French word chasseur, which means "shoemaker." His father, John Chaucer, was kidnapped by an aunt in 1324 in the hopes of marrying the 12-year-old to her daughter to maintain Ipswich estates. 

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Image of Geoffrey Chaucer.

The aunt was sentenced to prison and fined £250, which is almost £200,000 today, indicating that the family was financially affluent. According to a will dated 3 April 1354 and recorded in the City Hustings Roll as "moneyer," John Chaucer married Agnes Copton, who inherited possessions from her uncle Hamo de Copton, including 24 shops in London, according to a will dated 3 April 1354 and recorded in the City Hustings Roll as "moneyer."In the City Hustings Roll 110, 5. In a letter to Ric dated June 1380 year, Chaucer addresses himself as "Geoffrey Chaucer, filium Johannis Chaucer, Londonie, Vinetarii," which translates as "Chaucer, son of the vintner John Chaucer, London."

Geoffrey Chaucer Career

While records of his contemporaries William Langland and the Pearl Poet are almost non-existent, Chaucer's official life is fully recorded, with approximately 500 written pieces attesting to his profession. The first of the "Chaucer Life Records" occurs in the household records of Elizabeth de Burgh, Countess of Ulster, in 1357 when he became the noblewoman's page through his father's connections, a standard mediaeval type of apprenticeship for boys into knighthood or high-ranking positions. The countess was married to Lionel, Duke of Clarence, the king's second surviving son, and the position thrust the adolescent Chaucer into the inner circle of the court, where he would spend the remainder of his life. He also worked as a courtier, diplomat, and government servant, as well as Clerk of the Monarch's Works for the king from 1389 until 1391. 

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Image of Geoffrey’s early life.

During the Hundred Years' War, Edward invaded France, and Chaucer served in the English army with Elizabeth's husband, Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence. During the siege of Rheims in 1360, he was taken. Following this, Chaucer's whereabouts are unknown, but he appears to have travelled across France, Spain, and Flanders, probably as a courier and possibly on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.

Chaucer married Philippa (de) Roet around 1366. She was a lady-in-waiting to Edward III's queen, Philippa of Hainault, and the sister of Katherine Swynford, John of Gaunt's third wife (c. 1396) The exact number of children Chaucer and Philippa had is unknown, but three or four are often mentioned. Edward III granted Chaucer "a gallon of wine daily for the rest of his life" for some unexplained duty, which could indicate that his profession as a writer was valued. Given on a day of celebration, St George's Day, 1374, when artistic endeavours were regularly acknowledged, it is thought to have been another early lyrical effort. 

Although it is unclear which of Chaucer's extant works sparked the prize, his endorsement of him as a poet to a king established him as a predecessor to succeeding poet laureates. Until Richard II came to power in 1378, Chaucer continued to receive the liquid stipend, which was then turned into a monetary gift. On June 8, 1374, Chaucer started his highly important position as comptroller of the customs at the port of London. He had to be right for the job because he stayed in it for twelve years, which was a long time in such a position at the time. For the next ten years, his life is largely unknown, but it is assumed that he composed (or began writing) the majority of his famous works at this time. He was accused of being complicit in the raptus (rape or seizure) of Cecilia Chaumpaigne in legal proceedings dated 4 May 1380.

Later Life

Chaucer was robbed and maybe injured while conducting business in September 1390, according to documents, and he stopped doing so on June 17, 1391. He began working as a Deputy Forester in Petherton Park Royal Forest in North Petherton, Somerset, on June 22. This was no walk in the park, with upkeep being a big part of the job, even if there were plenty of ways to make money. In 1394, Richard II offered him a 20-pound annual pension (approximately £25,000/US$33,000 in today's money), but Chaucer's name slipped from history not long after Richard's overthrow in 1399. His stipend was restored by the new king, and he took a lease on a home within the close of Westminster Abbey on December 24, 1399, according to the last documents of his life. 

The gifts assigned by Richard were renewed by Henry IV, however, The Complaint of Chaucer to his Purse suggests that the grants were not paid. The final time Chaucer is mentioned is on June 5, 1400, when he was paid money owing to him. Chaucer died on October 25, 1400, for unknown reasons, albeit the sole evidence for this date comes from an inscription on his tomb, which was built more than a century after his death. Some speculate that he was assassinated by Richard II's enemies or possibly on the orders of his successor Henry IV, although the evidence is circumstantial. Due to his status as a tenant of Abbey's cloister, Chaucer was buried in Westminster Abbey in London, as was his right. His remains were moved to a more elegant tomb in 1556, making him the first writer to be buried in the location that is now known as Poets' Corner.

Public Service

King Edward III made Chaucer one of his esquires in 1368. When Queen Elizabeth died in 1369, it bolstered Philippa's standing and, by extension, Chaucer's. From 1370 to 1373, he travelled to Florence and Genoa on diplomatic trips, assisting in the establishment of an English port in Genoa. Along the journey, he became acquainted with the works of Dante and Petrarch, two Italian writers. By the time he returned, he and Philippa had prospered, and he had been appointed as Comptroller of Customs, a lucrative job, in recognition of his diplomatic efforts. Meanwhile, John of Gaunt, the first Duke of Lancaster, provided considerable annuities to Philippa and Chaucer. Chaucer went on more diplomatic journeys in 1377 and 1388, with the goals of acquiring a French wife for Richard II and getting military aid in Italy. Due to his obligations, Chaucer had little time to dedicate to his actual interest, poetry writing. 

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This image represent the Geoffrey’s public service.

He applied for temporary leave in 1385. He resided in Kent for the following four years, but instead of focusing on his writing, he worked as a justice of the peace and eventually a member of Parliament. When Philippa died in 1387, Chaucer lost his share of her royal pensions and faced financial difficulties. To make ends meet and pay off his mounting debt, he needed to continue working in the public sector.

Geoffrey Chaucer Death

Geoffrey Chaucer, the famed 14th-century English poet, died on October 25, 1400, in London, England. He was 60 years old when he died of unexplained causes. In Westminster Abbey, Chaucer was laid to rest. His gravestone became the focal point of what became known as Poet's Corner, a location where notable British authors such as Robert Browning and Charles Dickens were later honoured and interred.

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Image of Geoffrey’s mausoleum.

Geoffrey Chaucer Facts

• In the early to mid-1360s, Geoffrey Chaucer went through France with the Royal Service.

• For his service in the Royal Service, King Edward granted Geoffrey a 20-mark pension.

• In 1366, Geoffrey married Philippa Roet. She was Sir Payne Roet's daughter. Geoffrey's career benefited from the marriage.

• Geoffrey Chaucer joined King Edward III's esquires in 1368. His position required him to travel on diplomatic missions, providing him with the opportunity to get acquainted with the works of poets such as Petrarch and Dante.

• Geoffrey's love of poetry grew stronger as his career progressed. In 1385, he requested a temporary leave of absence. He lived in Kent for four years, but as a member of Parliament, he had little time to write.

• Geoffrey Chaucer's Parliament of Fouls is thought to have been composed about 1380.

• It was a sonnet about the inauthenticity of courtly love. Troilus and Criseyde, a poem about his character's tragic love tale, is thought to have been written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the mid-1830s. Many people believe this poem to be one of his best works.

• The Legend of Good Women, an unfinished work by Geoffrey Chaucer, is unknown when it was written.

• The Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer, was originally intended to be 120 stories long. His protagonists did not make it to Canterbury at all, and the book was only completed to 24 stories. Even though the work was never completed, it is highly recognised in the literature.

• Geoffrey Chaucer's gravestone in the abbey became the first of what would become known as Poet's Corner.