When and where was Geoffrey Chaucer born?
Geoffrey Chaucer was born in London, most likely in the early 1340s. Some accounts including his monument suggest he was born in 1343 though the precise date remains unknown.
Questions about Geoffrey Chaucer
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who were Geoffrey Chaucer's parents and what was their profession?
His father John Chaucer rose to become an important wine merchant with a royal appointment. His mother Agnes Copton inherited properties in 1349 and received twenty-four shops in London from her uncle Hamo de Copton who worked as a moneyer at the Tower of London.
What major works did Geoffrey Chaucer write during his time as customs comptroller for London?
Chaucer wrote The Book of the Duchess Anelida and Arcite The House of Fame Troilus and Criseyde The Canterbury Tales and A Treatise on the Astrolabe while working as customs comptroller from 1374 to 1386. He also translated Boethius Consolation of Philosophy and The Romance of the Rose by Guillaume de Lorris extended by Jean de Meun.
When did Geoffrey Chaucer die and where is he buried?
Geoffrey Chaucer died around the year 1400 and became the first writer buried in what has since become Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey.
How many manuscripts of The Canterbury Tales survive today?
There survive eighty-three manuscripts of The Canterbury Tales alone along with sixteen of Troilus and Criseyde including Henry IV's personal copy. Given the ravages of time these surviving manuscripts likely represent hundreds since lost.