Geoffrey Chaucer (/ˈtʃɔːsər/; c. 1340s – 25 October 1400) was an English poet and author. Widely seen as the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages, he is best known for The Canterbury Tales. Chaucer has been styled the “Father of English literature”. He was the first writer buried in Poets’ Corner of Westminster Abbey.[1] Chaucer also gained fame as a philosopher and astronomer, composing the scientific A Treatise on the Astrolabe for his 10-year-old son Lewis. He maintained a career in the civil service as a bureaucrat, courtier, diplomat, and member of parliament.
His Origin
Chaucer was born in London most likely in the early 1340s, though the precise date and location remain unknown. His father and grandfather were both London vintners, and several previous generations had been merchants in Ipswich. His family name is derived from the French chausseur, meaning “shoemaker”.[2] In 1324, his father John Chaucer was kidnapped by an aunt in the hope of marrying the 12-year-old to her daughter in an attempt to keep property in Ipswich. The aunt was imprisoned and fined £250, equivalent to £184,121 in 2018, which suggests that the family was financially secure.[3]
John Chaucer married Agnes Copton, who inherited properties in 1349, including 24 shops in London from her uncle Hamo de Copton, who is described in a will dated 3 April 1354 and listed in the City Hustings Roll as “moneyer”, said to be moneyer at the Tower of London. In the City Hustings Roll 110, 5, Ric II, dated June 1380, Chaucer refers to himself as me Galfridum Chaucer, filium Johannis Chaucer, Vinetarii, Londonie, which translates as: “Geoffrey Chaucer, son of John Chaucer, vintners, London”.
Credit: Wikipedia
His Works
- The Canterbury Tales
- The Book of the Duchess
- The House of Fame
- The Legend of Good Women
- Troilus and Criseyde
