Geoffrey Chaucer

In 1366, Geoffrey Chaucer married Philippa de Roet, the daughter of Sir Gilles de Roet. She was one of the ladies-in-waiting to Queen Philippa of Hainault. Earlier both of them worked for the Countess of Ulster. It is believed Queen Philippa arranged their wedding.

The couple had four known children; Elizabeth, Thomas, Agnes and Lewis. Among them, Thomas Chaucer was most famous and he became chief butler to four kings. He was also envoy to France, and Speaker of the House of Commons. Elizabeth was nominated a nun, possibly in Barking Abbey, by the Royal privilege.

From the plaque on his grave, we know that Geoffrey Chaucer died on 25 October 1400. He was buried at West Minister’s Abbey, a rare honor for a commoner.

Geoffrey Chaucer was born around 1343, most probably in his parents’ house on Thames Street, adjacent to the west bank of the Walbrook in London, England.

Geoffrey Chaucer’s father, John Chaucer, was a vintner; he also served as the deputy to the King’s butler. His mother Agnes nee Copton, came from a rich family and inherited two dozen shops in London from her uncle.

Apart from Geoffrey, John and Agnes Chaucer possibly had a daughter named Katherine. According to Geoffrey Chaucer’s biographer, Peter Ackroyd, she later married somebody called Simon Manning of Codham. She is not to be confused with Chaucer’s sister-in-law, Katherine Swynford née (de) Roet.

It is believed that Chaucer had his schooling at the St. Paul’s Cathedral School, where he studied Latin and Greek. His writings show that he was familiar with the works of both ancient and contemporary writers. He was also fluent in French.

The first record that we come across in Chaucer’s life is dated 1357. It mentions him as a page in the household of Elizabeth de Burgh, the Countess of Ulster, the wife of Prince Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence. He possibly secured this position through his father’s connection.

Since Prince Lionel was the second surviving son of King Edward III, the position brought him very close to the royal court, helping him to make many important connections. Most significant among them was his friendship with John of Gaunt, the third surviving son of King Edward III.

Belonging to the same age group, Chaucer and John of Gaunt soon became very close. Later in life, John of Gaunt would yield immense influence on Chaucer’s diplomatic career.

In 1359, Prince Lionel joined his father, King Edward III, in his unsuccessful expedition to France. Although Chaucer was still in his teens he accompanied his master as a part of the English army.

In 1360, during the siege of Rheims, Chaucer was captured by the enemy forces. The King paid £16 as his ransom, thus securing his release. The incident shows that by then Chaucer had already established himself at the court; otherwise the King would not have paid such a huge ransom.

From 1366 onwards, he frequently traveled to Spain, Flanders and France on diplomatic missions. On February 22, 1366, a certificate of safe-conduct to enter Spain was issued in the name of Geoffrey Chaucer and his companions by the King of Navarre. It was possibly the first of many such travels.

On 20 June, 1367, Chaucer was inducted into the royal court of King Edward III as a valet de chambre, yeoman, receiving a handsome annuity. The position required him to take a wide variety of task and travel abroad.

In 1368, he was listed as King’s Esquires, a position that required him to live in the court and perform important duties. Also in the same year, he went to Milan to attend the wedding of Lionel of Antwerp. In the following year, he was sent on military service to France.

Possibly In December 1369, Chaucer wrote his first major poem, ‘The Book of the Duchess’. Written in English, it was an elegy to Blanche of Lancaster, the late wife of John of Gaunt, who died in September 1369. Prior to that, poems in English court were always written in French.

The 1370s saw him traveling frequently to France, Flanders and Italy. His first visit to Italy took place sometime between December 1372 and May 1373. Visiting Genoa, he helped to establish an English port there; while in Florence, he negotiated a loan for King Edward III.