Chaucer Chronology
eChaucer ¤ Chaucer in the Twenty-First Century
| 1327-77 | REIGN OF KING EDWARD III (crowned at age 14). |
| 1328 | Edward marries Philippa of Hainault; Sir Paon de Roet in her entourage. |
| 1330 | Birth of Edward, the Black Prince. |
| 1331 | England at war with Scotland: France intervenes on behalf of Scotland. |
| 1338 | Boccaccio completes Il Filostrato.
Unsuccessful invasion of northern France (beginning of Hundred Years' War). John Chaucer (Geoffrey's father) in the King's company. |
| 1340 | Birth of John of Gaunt. National Library of Scotland copied. As a result, the Auchinleck MS possibly available to Chaucer. |
| 1343 | (?) Birth of Geoffrey Chaucer to John (a wine merchant) and Agnes Chaucer. Edward III takes title "King of France" setting up the "Hundred Year War" |
| 1346 | Victory over France at Battle of Crécy. |
| 1347-9 | John Chaucer holds post as King's Deputy Butler in the port of Southhampton. |
| 1348-9 | Black Death reaches England. |
| 1350's | Alliterative Poetry again popular in North-west and Western England |
| 1351 | First "Statutes of Laborers" attempts to fix wages and control the labor movement in the period of labor shortages after the black death. |
| 1356 | Battle of Poitiers; high point of England's success in the "100 Year War" with France; King John of France captured, he and his retainers live in the English court for three years. |
| 1357 | First record of Chaucer: a young page in household of Countess of Ulster, wife of Prince Lionel (Edward III's second son). Phillippa Pan also in household. |
| 1359-60 | In service as a valettus (yoeman) in the retinue of Prince Lionel. May, 1359: Chaucer at wedding of John of Gaunt and Blanche of Lancaster. Gaunt becomes Duke of Lancaster. After November 3: Chaucer in French in Prince Lionel's company. |
| 1360 | Chaucer captured in France and ransomed by the king. |
| 1361-67 | Prier a Nostre Dame; Romaunt of the Rose; early Complaints |
| 1361 | Black Prince marries Joan of Kent. Chaucer at Inns of Chancery. Terrible second wave of black plague. |
| 1363 | Death of Countess of Ulster. Philippa Pan (later Chaucer) enters service of Queen Philippa. Chaucer at Inns of Court. |
| 1365-6 | Marries Philippa, first daughter of Paon de Roet (in the household of Queen Philippa) and sister of Katherine (later mistress and third wife of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster). |
| 1366 | February 22-May 24: safe conduct for Chaucer to travel in Spain. Philippa Chaucer granted royal annuity of 10 marks. Death of Chaucer's father; mother remarries. |
| 1367 | Geoffrey Chaucer granted royal annuity of 20 marks as he enters the King's service as an esquire of the royal household. Birth of son, Thomas. |
| 1368 | Death of Blanche, John of Gaunt's wife and Duchess of Lancaster. French war active. Chaucer on mission in France. |
| 1368-1369 | Book of the Duchess |
| 1369 | Chaucer with Gaunt in raid on Picardy. Death of Queen Philippa. Philippa Chaucer enters Gaunt's household. |
| 1370 | June 20-September 29: Chaucer on misssion in France, with Gaunt in Aquitaine. |
| 1371 | Gaunt marries Princess Constanza of Castile, King Pedro's daughter. |
| 1373-1377 | Parliament of Fowls; St. Cecelia (Second Nun's Tale); Monk's tragedies (Monk's Tale); Anelida |
| 1372 | Katherine Swynford, sister of Philippa Chaucer, bears first son by Gaunt. August 30: Gaunt grants Philippa Chaucer annuity of £10. December 1: Chaucer leaves for Genoa, visits Florence. (Boccaccio in Florence; Petrarch in Padua. Probably first contact with poetry of Boccaccio, Petrarch, Dante. |
| 1373 | May 23: Chaucer returns to London. Birth of Thomas Chaucer. July 13: Gaunt goes to French wars. |
| 1374 | April 10: Gaunt returns from French wars. April 23: Chaucer receives a royal grant of a pitcher of wine daily. May 10: Chaucer leases Aldgate house and sets up housekeeping. June 8: Chaucer made controller of customs. June 13: Geoffrey and Philippa receive £10 annuity from Gaunt. Death of Petrarch. |
| 1375 | Death of Boccaccio. John Barbour's poem The Bruce completed. |
| 1376 | Death of Edward, the Black Prince. Chaucer on mission to Calais. The "Good Parliament": the Commons attemp to purge the royal household of foreign influence and assert control over the king's choice of advisors. |
| 1377 | February 17: April 30: Chaucer on mission in France concerning peace treaty and marriage of Richard. June 22: death of Edward III and accession of his grandson, Richard II, age 10. Government controlled by Gaunt. Guillaume de Machaut, French Troubadour Poet, dies. During late '70s Langland revising Piers Plowman, B-text. |
| 1377-1399 | REIGN OF KING RICHARD II |
| 1378-1381 | House of Fame (probably '80, as it references the negotiations toward Richard II's marriage to Anne of bohemia, 3 May, 1381); Boece (could be a little later); Boethian balades; Palamon and Arcite |
| 1378 | January 16-March 9: Chaucer in France concerning marriage of Richard Visconti. (Gower given Chaucer's power of attorney). |
| 1380 | May 1: Chaucer released from suit for "raptus" of Cecily Chambain. Birth of Lewis Chaucer (for whom Chaucer wrote the Treatise on the Astrolabe in 1391). |
| 1381 | June. Peasants' Revolt. June 19: deed of Geoffrey Chaucer, son of John Chaucer, vintner of London, quitclaiming his father's house. |
| 1381 and 1386 | Troilus and Criseyde; Legend of Good Women. Langland working on Piers Plowman, C Text. |
| 1382 | Richard II marries Anne of Bohemia |
| 1383 | Chaucer obtains first loan against his annuity. |
| 1385 | October 12: Chaucer appointed justice of the peace in Kent. Political struggle between Gaunt and his brother, Thomas of Woodstock. September: death of Joan of Kent. |
| 1386 | Justice of peach reaffirmed. February 19: Philippa admitted to fraternity of Lincoln Cathedral. August: Chaucer elected member of Parliament from Kent. October 5: Aldgate house rented to Richard Forester. October 15: Scrope-Grosvenor trial. December 4: Chaucer resigns and Adam Yardley appointed controller of customs. |
| 1386--1387: | Canterbury Tales, General Prologue; early Tales (Knight, Part VII) |
| 1387 | Death of Phillipa; June 18: last payment of annuity of Philippa Chaucer. John Gower begins his Confessio Amantis, which contains Venus's praise of Chaucer. Chaucer begins Canterbury Tales. |
| 1388--1389: | Fabliaux (Miller, Reeve) |
| 1388 | May 1: Chaucer surrenders his royal annuities to John Scalby of Lincolnshire. |
| 1389 | King Richard assumes power. Chaucer appointed clerk of the King's works (more than £30 per year). Christine de Pizan begins writing in France. |
| 1390 and 1394: | Marriage group: Wife of Bath (could be a bit later--see below), Friar, Summoner, Merchant, Clerk, Franklin; Astrolabe; Equatorie of Planets, Legend of Good Women. |
| 1390 | Commissions to repair St. George's Chapel, Windsor; to oversee repairs on the lower Thames sewers and conduits; to build bleachers for jousts at Smithfield, etc. Chaucer robbed of the king's money on the highway. Chaucer appointed sub-forester of North Petherton, Somerset. |
| 1391 | June 17: Resigns as clerk of the kings works; another clerk appointed. |
| 1393 | Chaucer granted a gift of £10 from Richard for services rendered "in this year now present." |
| 1394 | Death of Queen Anne. Chaucer granted a new annuity of £20. |
| 1395 | Richard marries Isabella of France. Thomas Chaucer marries heiress Maud Berghersh. |
| 1396-1399 | Balades to Scogan, Bukton (Mentioned in Wife of Bath). |
| 1397 | Granted a tun of wine a year. John of Gaunt marries Katherine Swynford. |
| 1398 | Chaucer borrows against his annuity; action for debt against Chaucer; letters of protection from the King. |
| 1399 | Deposition of Richard II. Death of John of Gaunt. October 13: on his coronation day, Henry doubles Chaucer's annuity. December 24: Chaucer signs 53-year lease for tenement in the garden of the Lady Chapel, Westminster Abbey. |
| 1399-1413 | REIGN OF KING HENRY IV |
| 1400 | September 29: last record of Chaucer: quittance given by him for a tun of wine received. October 25: date of Chaucer's death on tombstone in Westminster Abbey (erected in 1556). First tenant of "Poets' Corner" at Westminster. |
Adapted from Bonnie Duncan's Home Page, Millersville University
Additions Forthcoming