Chaucer is widely recognised to be the poet who legitimised the English language; after the Norman Conquest in 1066, while Latin remained the language of learning, French became the language of the aristocracy. English survived primarily because of its oral tradition amongst the illiterate masses. Chaucer was one of the first poets who demonstrated the artistic potential of the vernacular English language. His first major work was ‘The Book of the Duchesse’ in memory of Blanche of Lancaster, wife of John of Gaunt. His other early works include ‘Anelida and Arcite’ and ‘The Hous of Fame’.
Geoffrey Chaucer – widely credited as being the father of English Literature – is believed to have been born around 1343. the image his poetry gives us of him is that of a dreamer but even a cursory glance at his life reveals that he was anything but an idealistic dreamer with his head in the clouds: history reveals that Chaucer led a busy official life as a bureaucrat, a courtier, a diplomat and for a time as the Comptroller of Customs.
The name Chaucer is a French form of the Latin ‘Calcearius’ which means a shoemaker. Both Chaucer’s father John and his grandfather Robert appear to have been wealthy merchants though. Chaucer’s birth was earlier said to have been in 1328 but legal proceedings show that his father was about twelve years old in 1324 and that he was till unmarried in 1328 which makes it highly improbable that Chaucer was, in fact, born in 1328. What is undisputed is that Chaucer was born in London.
The information that has come down to us about Chaucer’s life is primarily from documents of an official character. As a result, there are virtually no known facts about his early life and education. He first appears in the household accounts of Elisabeth, Countess of Ulster whom he served as a page. The accounts show that she paid for small items of clothing for him in April, May and December of 1357.
In 1359, Chaucer travelled to France with Lionel of Antwerp, Elisabeth’s husband, during the early stages of the Hundred Years’ War when Edward III invaded the country. He had the misfortune of being taken prisoner while he was in France and was ransomed with the help of a ₤ 16 contribution from the king in March 1360. Soon after, he joined the Royal Service.
Chaucer married one of the ladies-in-waiting to Phillipa of Hainault, Edward III’s queen, around 1366. Her name was Phillipa (de) Roet and in 1367, the king granted him a pension of twenty marks. His wife, Phillipa had been granted a pension of ten marks the year before and Phillipa’s sister, Katherine Swynford married John of Gaunt after the death of her first husband, Hugh de Swynford in 1372. This marriage may account for the many favours and the patronage which John of Gaunt accorded to Chaucer although the two knew each other even before the marriage had taken place: in 1369, Chaucer wrote a poem after the death of John’s wife, Blanche called ‘The Book of the Duchesse’. It had 1334 lines in octosyllabic couplets.
It is obvious that Chaucer used his personal connections to advance his career. He travelled abroad several times with the earliest recorded official trip being in 1372 as one of three commissioners sent to Genoa, Italy to negotiate special maritime facilities for trade. He has also travelled to Italy in 1368 to attend the wedding of Lionel of Antwerp to Violante, the daughter of Galeazzo II, Visconti in Milan. It was during this trip that he probably met Jean Froissart and Petrarch.
In 1372, John of Gaunt granted Chaucer’s wife, Phillipa and annuity of ₤ 10 and in 1374, he granted Chaucer himself a like annuity. Further, the king granted Chaucer an annuity and he was appointed ‘Comptroller of Custom and Subsidy of Wools, Hides and Woodfells’ as well as of ‘Petty Customs of Wine in the Port of London’ in the same year.
Chaucer appears to have moved to Kent while he was still working as Comptroller. Around this time, he was appointed ‘Commissioner of the Peace’ and two large windfalls came his way in the form of the wardships of two heirs. He was sent abroad in the king’s sevice in 1376 and 1377 while he was living in Kent and is also believed to have begun writing ‘Canterbury Tales’ around this time since his fictional characters pass through Kent.
Chaucer became a Member of Parliament for Kent in 1386. England had a new king by this time – Richard II – and Chaucer’s wife, Philippa had died. Richard II confirmed Chaucer’s pensions and offices. Nonetheless, he seems to have been in a financially precarious situation for a while; he inter alia asked for the grant of a butt of wine annually and in 1398 obtained letters of protection against his creditors.
Henry IV became king after Richard II. He not only granted a new pension of 40 marks to Chaucer but confirms all of Richard II’s grants. However, having no ready money himself, he appears not to have paid him – the poet himself hints at this in ‘Compleynt to his Purs’.
Chaucer died soon after this and was buried in Westminster Abbey. Although the exact date of his death is uncertain, it is presumed to have been on October 25, 1400. his remains were transferred to a more ornate tomb – in what is now called Poets’ Corner – in 1556.
Geoffrey Chaucer – widely credited as being the father of English Literature – is believed to have been born around 1343. the image his poetry gives us of him is that of a dreamer but even a cursory glance at his life reveals that he was anything but an idealistic dreamer with his head in the clouds: history reveals that Chaucer led a busy official life as a bureaucrat, a courtier, a diplomat and for a time as the Comptroller of Customs.
The name Chaucer is a French form of the Latin ‘Calcearius’ which means a shoemaker. Both Chaucer’s father John and his grandfather Robert appear to have been wealthy merchants though. Chaucer’s birth was earlier said to have been in 1328 but legal proceedings show that his father was about twelve years old in 1324 and that he was till unmarried in 1328 which makes it highly improbable that Chaucer was, in fact, born in 1328. What is undisputed is that Chaucer was born in London.
The information that has come down to us about Chaucer’s life is primarily from documents of an official character. As a result, there are virtually no known facts about his early life and education. He first appears in the household accounts of Elisabeth, Countess of Ulster whom he served as a page. The accounts show that she paid for small items of clothing for him in April, May and December of 1357.
In 1359, Chaucer travelled to France with Lionel of Antwerp, Elisabeth’s husband, during the early stages of the Hundred Years’ War when Edward III invaded the country. He had the misfortune of being taken prisoner while he was in France and was ransomed with the help of a ₤ 16 contribution from the king in March 1360. Soon after, he joined the Royal Service.
Chaucer married one of the ladies-in-waiting to Phillipa of Hainault, Edward III’s queen, around 1366. Her name was Phillipa (de) Roet and in 1367, the king granted him a pension of twenty marks. His wife, Phillipa had been granted a pension of ten marks the year before and Phillipa’s sister, Katherine Swynford married John of Gaunt after the death of her first husband, Hugh de Swynford in 1372. This marriage may account for the many favours and the patronage which John of Gaunt accorded to Chaucer although the two knew each other even before the marriage had taken place: in 1369, Chaucer wrote a poem after the death of John’s wife, Blanche called ‘The Book of the Duchesse’. It had 1334 lines in octosyllabic couplets.
It is obvious that Chaucer used his personal connections to advance his career. He travelled abroad several times with the earliest recorded official trip being in 1372 as one of three commissioners sent to Genoa, Italy to negotiate special maritime facilities for trade. He has also travelled to Italy in 1368 to attend the wedding of Lionel of Antwerp to Violante, the daughter of Galeazzo II, Visconti in Milan. It was during this trip that he probably met Jean Froissart and Petrarch.
In 1372, John of Gaunt granted Chaucer’s wife, Phillipa and annuity of ₤ 10 and in 1374, he granted Chaucer himself a like annuity. Further, the king granted Chaucer an annuity and he was appointed ‘Comptroller of Custom and Subsidy of Wools, Hides and Woodfells’ as well as of ‘Petty Customs of Wine in the Port of London’ in the same year.
Chaucer appears to have moved to Kent while he was still working as Comptroller. Around this time, he was appointed ‘Commissioner of the Peace’ and two large windfalls came his way in the form of the wardships of two heirs. He was sent abroad in the king’s sevice in 1376 and 1377 while he was living in Kent and is also believed to have begun writing ‘Canterbury Tales’ around this time since his fictional characters pass through Kent.
Chaucer became a Member of Parliament for Kent in 1386. England had a new king by this time – Richard II – and Chaucer’s wife, Philippa had died. Richard II confirmed Chaucer’s pensions and offices. Nonetheless, he seems to have been in a financially precarious situation for a while; he inter alia asked for the grant of a butt of wine annually and in 1398 obtained letters of protection against his creditors.
Henry IV became king after Richard II. He not only granted a new pension of 40 marks to Chaucer but confirms all of Richard II’s grants. However, having no ready money himself, he appears not to have paid him – the poet himself hints at this in ‘Compleynt to his Purs’.
Chaucer died soon after this and was buried in Westminster Abbey. Although the exact date of his death is uncertain, it is presumed to have been on October 25, 1400. his remains were transferred to a more ornate tomb – in what is now called Poets’ Corner – in 1556.