1. Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400) Connor Rudge

2. Early Life Born in 1343 to John Chaucer and Agnes Copton First “Chaucer Life Record” (of 500+ known) was household accounts of Elizabeth de Burgh, the Countess of Ulster (wife of Lionel, Duke of Clarence) Became the noblewoman’s page through his father’s connections (Aquired large amount of storefronts from marrying Agnes; said to be “moneyer” at the Tower of London

3. Cont. the position brought the teenage Chaucer into the close court circle, where he remained for the rest of his life. Also worked as a courtier, a diplomat, and a civil servant, and worked fro the King collecting and sorting scrap metal.

4. Family Marrried Phillipa (de) Roet in 1366 Unknown how many children they had Believed to be 3 or 4 – Thomas – Elizabeth – Agnes – Lewis

5. Life Cont. Chaucer studied law in the Inner Court. He became a member of the royal court of Edward III as a varlet de chambre, yeoman, or esquire on 20 June 1367 Believed to have wrote Book of the Duchess around this time

6. Literary Works The Book of the Duchess House of Fame Legend of Good Women Troilus and Criseyde The Canterbury Tales Anelida and Arcite Ellesmere Manuscript

7. Achievements Author, philosopher, alchemist and astronomer, active career in the civil service as a bureaucrat, courtier and diplomat First person to be buried in Poet’s corner at Westminster Abbey Created and used “Modern English Vernacular”

8. Sources Skeat (1899); Vol. I, p. xvii. Coulton, G. G. (2006). Chaucer and His England. Kessinger Publishing. p. 74. ISBN 978-1-4286-4247-8.