Geoffrey Chaucer Chronology:
His Life
and Times
Geoffrey Chaucer lived in exciting times and
he had an
active, varied life. Quite a few
informative chronologies of Chaucer's life and times are online but
they are largely scattered all over the Web, so I have decided to
consolidate them into one
master chronology.
Note that I have also created a companion site to this chronology to provide more information about the people, places, and events included here. Both the chronology site and its counterpart are works-in-progress, so if you notice any inconsistencies, omissions, or errors, please contact me. This chronology owes much to the Harvard Chaucer chronology in its basic structure (indeed, many of the links will take you to material on the Harvard website), but I have added my own supplementary material (e.g., details about Chaucer's involvement in the Scrope-Grosvenor controversy, other historical or literary events). If you are interested in the original Latin and Anglo-Norman documents that pertain to Chaucer's life, see the voluminous Chaucer Life-Records, edited by Martin M. Crow and Clair C. Olson (Oxford University Press, 1966); this conatins virtually every known reference to Chaucer in the legal record. See the bottom of this page for more recommended readings (all in modern English). Note: I provide a hyperlink each time a literary figure (other than Chaucer) appears. All other people are linked only once. |
Events
in Chaucer's Life |
Historical and Literary Events |
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1300 Guillaume de Machaut, French poet-musician, is born (dies in 1377). 1304 Francis Petrarch, great Italian humanist, is born. |
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1312 or 1313 John Chaucer, Geoffrey Chaucer's father, is born. |
1313 Giovanni Boccaccio, Italian poet and admirer of Petrarch, is born. 1321 Dante Alighieri, great Italian poet (born in 1265), dies. 1330 John Gower, trilingual English poet, is born (dies in 1408). |
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mid 1330's (?) John Chaucer marries Agnes Copton. |
c. 1336 Eustache Deschamps, French poet, is born (dies c. 1406). 1337 - 1453 The Hundred Years' War (a slight misnomer, since it was a series of conflicts extending over one hundred years) begins between England and France. 1338 Boccaccio completes Il Filostrato (major source for Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde). |
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c. 1340 - 1345 Geoffrey Chaucer is born to John and Agnes Chaucer. |
1340 The English defeat the French in the naval Battle of Sluys. |
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1341 Boccaccio completes Il Teseida delle Nozze d'Emilia (a source for Chaucer's Knight's Tale). 1346 The English are victorious over the French at the Battle of Crecy. 1348-1350 The Black Death wipes out a third of the population. 1351 Boccaccio completes the Decameron. 1356 The English are victorious in the Battle of Poitiers. King Jean (John) of France is taken prisoner. |
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1357 Chaucer enters into service as a page in the household of Elizabeth, Countess of Ulster. 1359 Chaucer serves in a military expedition under Prince Lionel (son of King Edward III of England) in France. |
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1360 Chaucer is captured in France. King Edward III pays a ransom of 16 pounds for Chaucer's release. 1360 In October, Prince Lionel pays Chaucer for running diplomatic missions between Calais and England. |
1360 The Treaty of Bretigny establishes peace between England and France (until 1369, at least). |
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1361 - 1367 Jean Froissart, French chronicler/poet (born c. 1337 and died in 1404), attends the household of Queen Philippa, wife of King Edward III. 1364 King John of France dies. Charles V ascends to the French throne. |
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1366 Chaucer marries Philippa Roet, sister of Katherine Swynford. 1366 John Chaucer (Geoffrey's father) dies. Geoffrey's mother Agnes later remarries Bartholomew Chappel. 1366 Chaucer travels to Spain. 1366 The King grants Chaucer's wife Philippa an annuity of 10 marks for life for her service in the Queen's household. |
c. 1366 William Langland, English poet, begins writing his alliterative poem Piers Plowman (A-text). |
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1367 Chaucer enters service as a valet and later a squire in the household of King Edward III. On June 20, the King grants Chaucer a lifetime annuity of 20 pounds. Chaucer's son, Thomas, is also born in this year. |
1367 In January, the boy who later becomes King Richard II is born. His father is the Black Prince (the eldest son of Edward III). The Black Prince supports Pedro of Castile in the Battle of Najera. |
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1368 Chaucer writes The Book of the Duchess, a dream vision/elegy in commemoration of Blanche, Duchess of Lancaster. c. 1368 - 1370 Chaucer travels to the Continent (France?) "on the King's service." c. 1368 - 1372 Chaucer begins translating The Romance of the Rose and writes many lyrics, some in English and possibly some in French as well. |
1368 In September, Blanche, Duchess of Lancaster, dies. She was the first wife of John of Gaunt (the third son of Edward III.) 1368 Thomas Hoccleve, a self-proclaimed disciple of Chaucer, is born (dies 1450). |
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1369 Chaucer receives mourning clothes following the death of Queen Philippa. 1369 Chaucer serves in John of Gaunt's army in France. |
1369 Queen Philippa, wife of King Edward III, dies. |
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1370 Chaucer serves in the army (once again) in France. |
1370 John Lydgate, poet/monk and admirer of Chaucer, is born (dies 1450). c. 1370 Katherine Swynford, Chaucer's sister-in-law, becomes the mistress of John of Gaunt. 1371 John of Gaunt marries Constanza (Constance) of Castile (daughter of Pedro of Castile). |
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1372 Chaucer travels to Italy (Genoa and Florence) on a diplomatic mission. In Genoa, he establishes a English port for trade. In Florence, he negotiates a loan for the King. 1372 Chaucer's wife Philippa enters into service in the household of John of Gaunt's new wife Constance. c. 1372 - 1377 Chaucer (possibly) writes the parts of the poems that later become known as The Monk's Tale and The Second Nun's Tale. 1373 In August, Chaucer is sent to Dartmouth to deliver a Genoese tarit (ship) back to its master, a Genoese merchant. |
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1374 Chaucer is appointed the Controller of Customs (hides, skins, and wool) for the Port of London. He is also granted a lease to a residence in Aldgate, London. 1374 The King grants Chaucer pitcher of wine daily. John of Gaunt grants Chaucer a lifetime annuity of 10 pounds. |
1374 Petrarch dies. |
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1375 John of Gaunt gives grants to Chaucer and to French knight/poet Otho de Graunson. |
1375 Boccaccio dies. 1376 In June, the Black Prince dies. |
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1377 - 1381 Chaucer makes several trips to the Continent (France and Flanders) to negotate peace and a marriage between Richard and a French princess. c. 1377 - 1381 Chaucer (possibly) writes The House of Fame and Anelida and Arcite. |
1377 In June, King Edward III dies. The ten-year-old Richard II ascends to the throne. 1377 Pope Gregory XI condemns the doctrines of John Wycliffe, but the Lollard movement continues. |
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1378 Chaucer leaves on a diplomatic mission to Lombardy (in Italy), where he meets with the Milan tyrant Bernabo Visconti and the English captain of mercenaries operating in Italy, Sir John Hawkwood. While he is away, Chaucer gives power of attorney to John Gower and Richard Forester. 1378 Richard II confirms the 20 pound annuity granted to Chaucer by Edward III. Richard also establishes an additional 20 pound annuity. 1380 Cecily Chaumpaigne releases Chaucer from all actions in the case of her raptus. 1380 Chaucer's second son, Lewis, is born. 1380 Chaucer writes The Parliament of Fowls. |
1378 - 1409 The Great Schism: There are two rival Popes--Pope Urban in Rome, and Pope Clement in Avignon. c. 1378 - 1380 Langland revises Piers Plowman (B-text). |
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1381 Chaucer's mother Agnes dies. 1381 Chaucer's daughter Elizabeth becomes a nun of Barking Abbey, London. |
1381 In June, the Peasants' Revolt occurs. c. 1381 Langland revises Piers Plowman again (the C-Text). |
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1382 The King renews Chaucer's position as Controller of Customs and gives him permission to have a deputy. c. 1382 - 1386 Chaucer writes Troilus and Criseyde. |
1382 Richard II marries Anne of Bohemia. 1382 The Wycliffite Bible (first Bible in English) appears. The Church officially condemns Wycliffe's views as heretical. |
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1385 The King grants Chaucer a permanent deputy in the Customs. 1385 Chaucer receives mourning clothing upon the death of the King's mother, Joan of Kent. 1385 - 1389 Chaucer serves as Justice of the Peace for Kent. |
1385 Deschamps sends Chaucer a ballade that calls him a "grand translateur" of the Romance of the Rose. 1385 Joan of Kent, mother of Richard II, dies. |
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1386 Chaucer gives a deposition in the Court of Chivalry regarding the Scrope-Grosvenor controversy (a dispute between two gentlemen over the right to use a certain coat of arms). 1386 Chaucer gives up his residence in Aldgate and resigns from Customs (and possibly moves to Kent). 1386 Chaucer serves as a Member of Parliament for Kent. c. 1386 Chaucer begins The Legend of Good Women, which includes some previously-written works. He revises the Prologue later. |
c. 1386 Thomas Usk (1350-1388), English poet, writes The Testament of Love, in which he praises Chaucer as a poet of Love and Philosophy. c. 1386 Gower begins Confessio Amantis, a poem that also includes praise for Chaucer. 1386 A group of noblemen reduce the power of Richard II. |
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c. 1387 - 1392 Chaucer begins The Canterbury Tales. |
1387 The Lords Appellant remove and execute some of Richard's closest supporters. Among those excuted is Usk. |
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1389 On July 12, the King appoints Chaucer Clerk of the King's Works. In this position, Chaucer is in charge of large construction projects, including works at Westminster, the Tower of London, and other royal estates. |
1389 Richard II regains power. |
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1390 As Clerk of the King's Works, Chaucer oversees the building of scaffolds for jousts in Smithfield. 1390 Highwaymen rob Chaucer of his horse, assorted goods, and over 20 pounds at Hacham, Surrey. The thieves are caught, tried, and convicted. 1391 Chaucer is (possibly) robbed again. 1391 Chaucer retires from his position as the Clerk of the King's Works. In June, he becomes the Deputy Forester of the Royal Forest of North Petherton, Somerset. 1391 - 1392 Chaucer writes A Treatise on the Astrolabe (making additions in 1393 and later). c. 1392 - 1395 Chaucer writes most of The Canterbury Tales, including (probably) the so-called "Marriage Group." 1393 The King awards Chaucer 10 pounds for "services rendered." |
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1394 The King grants Chaucer an annuity of 20 pounds for life. 1395 Chaucer's son Thomas marries the heiress Maud Burghersh. |
1394 In June, Queen Anne dies. |
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c. 1396 Chaucer writes "The Envoy to Bukton," in which he addresses the reader to read The Wife of Bath's Prologue. c. 1396 - 1400 Chaucer writes the latest of The Canterbury Tales, including (probably) The Nun's Priest's Tale, The Canon's Yeoman's Tale, The Parson's Tale, and other short poems. 1398 The King grants Chaucer a tun (252 gallons) of wine a year. |
1396 John of Gaunt marries Katherine Swynford, Chaucer's sister-in-law. 1396 Richard II marries Isabel (the daughter of King Philip IV of France) in order to end the wars between England and France. |
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1399 Chaucer leases a tenament in the garden of the Lady Chapel at Westminster Abbey (for 53 years). 1399 King Henry IV confirms and increases Chaucer's royal annuities. |
1399 In February, John of Gaunt dies. Richard II is deposed and Henry IV ascends to the throne. |
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1400 Chaucer writes "The Complaint of Chaucer to his Purse," which makes an appeal to the new King Henry. 1400 On October 25 (according to tradition), Chaucer dies. He is buried in Westminster Abbey. |
There are many books about Chaucer, but I list some of the most important ones here (in chronological order):
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