Geoffrey Chaucer was born in 1343 in London, though the exact date and location of his birth have never been verified. His father and grandfather were both London vintners and, before that, for several generations, the family members were merchants in Ipswich. In 1324, John Chaucer, Geoffrey's father, was kidnapped by an aunt in the hope of marrying the twelve-year-old boy to her daughter in an attempt to keep family property in Ipswich. The aunt was imprisoned and the fine that was levied suggests that the family was financially secure and upper middle-class, if not elite. John went on to marry Agnes Copton, who, in 1349, inherited properties including 24 shops in London, from her uncle.
There are very few details of Chaucer's early life and education. He is mentioned for the first time in 1357, in the household accounts of Elizabeth de Burgh, the Countess of Ulster, when he became employed as the noblewoman's page through his father's connections. He also worked as a courtier, a diplomat and a civil servant, as well as working for the king, collecting and inventorying scrap metal.
In 1359, in the earliest stages of the Hundred Years' War, Edward III invaded France and Chaucer traveled with Elizabeth's husband, as part of the English army. In 1360, records show that he was captured during the siege of Rheims, becoming a prisoner of war. Edward contributed part of a ransom and Chaucer was released.
After these events, Chaucer's life is uncertain, though it would seem that he traveled in France, Spain and Flanders, possibly as a messenger and perhaps even going on a pilgrimage. Around 1366, Chaucer married Philippa de Roet who was a lady-in-waiting to Edward III's queen, Philippa of Hainault. While It is uncertain how many children Chaucer and Philippa had, most accounts suggest three or four.
Chaucer may have also studied law in the Inner Temple, an Inn of Court, at about this time, though definite proof of this does not exist. He became a member of the royal court of Edward III as an esquire on 20 June 1367, a position which could entail any number of jobs. Records show that his wife also received a court employment pension. He traveled abroad many times, at least some of them in his role as a valet. It was around this time; Chaucer is believed to have written The Book of the Duchess in honor of Blanche of Lancaster, the late wife of John of Gaunt, who died in 1369.
Chaucer got the important, elite job of Comptroller of the Customs for the port of London, which he began on June 8, 1374. He must have been well-suited for the position as he held it for twelve years, which was a long time in such a post at that time. His life was undocumented for much of the next ten years, though it is believed that he wrote, or began to write, most of his famous works during this period. He is thought to have started work on The Canterbury Tales in the early 1380s. In 1836, he became a member of Parliament for Kent. As there is no further reference to Philippa, Chaucer's wife, after 1836, she is believed to have died in 1387. It is also believed that Chaucer stopped work on The Canterbury Tales sometime towards the end of this decade.
Not long after the overthrow of his patron, Richard II, in 1399, Chaucer's name fades from the historical record dramatically. The last few records of his life indicate that his pension was renewed by the new king, and his leasing a residence close to Westminster Abbey on December 24, 1399. The last mention of Chaucer is found on June 5, 1400, when some monies owed to him were paid.
While He is believed to have died of unknown causes on October 25, 1400, no firm evidence of this date exists, as it is taken from the engraving on his tomb, which was erected more than one hundred years after his death. Chaucer was buried in Westminster Abbey in London, as was his right, owing to his status as a tenant of the Abbey's close. In 1556, his remains were then transferred to a more ornate tomb, making Chaucer the first writer interred in the area now known as Poets' Corner.