Early 1340s Geoffrey Chaucer born, probably only son of John and
Agnes Chaucer, wine merchants
1346 Battle of Crecy
1348 Black Death reaches England Edward in founds Order of
the Garter
1356 English victory against France at Poitiers King John of France captured, French court begins civilised imprison ment m England
1357 ^ GC a page in the household of the Countess of Ulster,
wife of Lionel, son of Edward in
1359-60 GC member of Prince Lionel’s retinue m France, captured
at Reims and ransomed in March 1360 Returns to France
later in 1360
1362 Parliament opened in English for the first time, English
$ established as official language of law courts GC possibly
spending time m Inns of Court or Inns of Chancery
1365/66 GC marries Philippa
1366 Father dies, mother remarries GC travels through Navarre
Late 1360s GC translates all or some of Le Roman de la Rose (The Romaunt of the Rose]
1367 GC, now esquire in the royal household, granted 20 marks annuity Around this time son, Thomas, born
1368 Abroad on King’s service, death of Blanche, wife of John of Gaunt
1368-72 Somewhere between these dates GC writes The Book of the Duchess
1369-72 In France several times with John of Gaunt and on military campaigns
1372-73 Travels to Italy (Genoa and Florence) on diplomatic business Possible first encounter with poetry of Dante, Boccaccio and Petrarch
1374 Granted a gallon of wine per day for life, rent-free life-
long lease of property in Aldgate, is appointed controller of customs and receives £10 annually from John of Gaunt
1376 Death of Edward, The Black Prince’
1376-77 In France again on King’s business
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CHRONOLOGY
1377 Death of Edward in, Richard II becomes King First Poll Tax
1378 The Great Schism two Popes elected GC in Milan negotiating with Bernabo Visconti Likely date of House Gower granted power of attorney for GC GC successfully petitions for 1374 wine grant to be commuted to cash, (20 marks)
1379 Second Poll Tax
1380 Cecily Champaign accuses GC of rape Later he is released from any action regarding the accusation GC’s son Lewis, dedicatee of Astrolabe, born Probable date of Parliament
1 and Palamoun and Amte (later rewritten as The Knight’s
Tale) Third Poll Tax
1381 Death of GC’s mother, The Peasants’Revolt Possible date of Trains, Eoe.ce and ’Lak of Stedfastnesse’
1382 GC controller of Petty Custom
1385 Member of peace commission in Kent, leaves London for Kent about this time
1386 in Gives up lease of Aldgate property, becomes MP for Kent,
1 Testifies in the Scrope-Grosvenor trial, in which describes himself as being more than forty years old, resigns from Customs, around this time composes Legend
1387 Death of wife, Philippa GC in Calais Around this time begins Tales
1388 GC’s exchequer annuity and wine grant of 1378 trans, r ferred to John Scalby
1389 Appointed Clerk of the King’s Works Summoned for debt six times
1390 Robbed three times m September
1390s Appointed deputy forester for North Petherton Translates
Innocent Ill’s De Misena Condicionis Humane
1391 Writes Astrolabe, resigns as Clerk of Works
1392 Likely date of The Eauatone ofPlanetis, arguably by GC
1394 ]f Granted royal annuity of £20
1396 , , Probable date for ’Envoy to Bukton’
1397 ’ Granted tun of wine per year Probable date for G Prologue
to Legend
1398 ^ Travels through England on King’s ’arduous and urgent
business’
1399 Death of John of Gaunt m February, deposition of Richard II in September, accession of Henry IV GC returns to London
184
1400
CHRONOLOGY
25 October death of GC, buried in Westminster Abbey (moved in 1556 to ’Poet’s Corner’)
* !;•>•<•) *’) vi . v -. »’ ’< (it ’ i, ,
185