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Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343 – October 25, 1400) was 
an English author, poet, philosopher, bureaucrat 
(courtier), and diplomat. Chaucer is best known as 
the author of The Canterbury Tales. He is sometimes 
credited with being the first author to demonstrate 
the artistic legitimacy of the vernacular English 
language, rather than French or Latin.

Chaucer was born around 1343 in London. His father 
and grandfather were both London wine merchants 
(vintners); historical evidence indicates that 
Chaucer's family was well-to do—upper middle-class 
if not in the elite. Chaucer's father had 
connections which enabled his son to become a page 
to Elizabeth de Burgh, the Countess of Ulster from 
1357 onward; later Geoffrey served in the royal 
court of Edward III as a valet to Lionel of Antwerp.

In 1359 Chaucer travelled with the English army 
under Edward III to France during the Hundred 
Years' War. In 1360, he was captured during the 
siege of Reims, becoming a prisoner of war. Edward 
paid a ransom of 16 pounds, and Chaucer was released.

Chaucer traveled from England to France, Spain, 
Flanders, and Italy (Genoa and Florence), where he 
came into contact with medieval continental poetry.


Around 1366 Chaucer married Philippa (de) Roet, a 
lady-in-waiting to Edward III's queen, Philippa of 
Hainault, and a sister of Katherine Swynford, who 
later (ca. 1396) became the third wife of Chaucer's 
friend and patron, John of Gaunt. It is uncertain 
as to how many children Chaucer and Philippa had, 
but 3 or 4 are the numbers most widely agreed upon.

Chaucer wrote poetry as a diversion from his job 
as Comptroller of the Customs for the port of 
London, and also translated such important works 
as The Romance of the Rose by Guillaume de Lorris 
(extended by Jean de Meun), and Boethius' Consolation 
of Philosophy. However, while many scholars maintain 
that Chaucer did indeed translate part of the text 
of The Romance of the Rose, others claim that this 
has been effectively disproved. He also wrote the 
Parlement of Foules, the House of Fame, and 
Chanticleer and the Fox, the latter based on a 
story by Marie de France. However, he is best 
known as the writer of Troilus and Criseyde and 
of The Canterbury Tales, a collection of stories 
(told by fictional pilgrims on the road to the 
cathedral at Canterbury) that would help to shape 
English literature.

In the history of English literature, he is considered 
the introducer of continental accentual-syllabic metre 
as an alternative to the alliterative Anglo-Saxon 
metre. He also helped to standardise the southern 
accent (London area) of the Middle English language.

Chaucer wrote a Treatise on the Astrolabe, for the 
son of a friend, that describes the form and use of 
that instrument in detail. Although much of the text 
may have come from other sources, the treatise 
indicates that Chaucer was versed in science in 
addition to his literary talents.

After the overthrow of his patron Richard II, Chaucer 
vanished from the historical record. He is believed 
to have died of unknown causes on October 25, 1400, 
and there is speculation that he was murdered by 
enemies of Richard II. He is buried at Westminster 
Abbey in London. In 1556 his remains were transferred 
to a more ornate tomb, making Chaucer the first 
writer interred in the area now known as Poets' Corner.