Aphra Behn: A Chronology

1640 July– Born, near Canterbury, Kent.  Second daughter of Bartholomew Johnson and Elizabeth Denham. Although there has been much controversy over the circumstances of Behn's birth, this appears to be the most likely information.

1642 – Civil war begins; theaters closed by ordinance.

1649 – King Charles I executed.

1660 May – Charles II returns to London in the restoration of the monarchy

1663-64 – Probable period of residence in Surinam.  Possible that her father, who had been appointed Lieutenant-General, died on the voyage.  Stayed on a local plantation with her mother, sisters and brother. Possibly had an affair with William Scot while in Surinam.

1664 – Returned to London in the spring.  Presented a set of Indian feathers from Surinam to be used in the King’s Company production of Sir Robert Howard’s The Indian Queen.

1665 – Possible marriage to Mr. Behn, probably a Dutch merchant, who died soon afterwards, perhaps during the Great Plague.

1666 September –  Persuaded by Sir Thomas Killigrew to serve as a spy for Charles II in the Dutch Wars.  While in Antwerp, serves as an agent runner for William Scot.  Remains unpaid for her services.  Great Fire of London occurs in her absence.

1667 May– Borrows £150 in order to return to London.

1668  – Sent to debtor's prison for debts she incurred in the service of the crown despite petitions to Killigrew and the King.  Date of release uncertain, but she was likely only in prison for a few months.

1670 – Begins her career as a professional writer.  In December, her first play, the tragic-comic The Forced Marriage, is performed at Lincoln's Inn Fields by the Duke's Company. It is a great success, achieving a run of six nights, providing its author with two nights' income. (The "third day" always belonged to the author of the play.)

1671 – Her second tragic-comedy, The Amourous Prince, produced at Lincoln’s Inn Fields in the spring.

1672 – A collection of poetry, Covent Garden Drollery is published, possibly edited by Behn.

1673 – A comedy of intrigue, The Dutch Lover, produced at Dorset Garden Theater; judged a failure because it does not hold the stage until the third day (not published until 1677).

1675 -- Possible plays by Behn: The Revenge: Or a Match in Newgate, and The Woman Turned Bully.

1676 July - Behn's only tragedy, Abdelazer, produced at Dorset Garden, followed there in September by a “scandalous” comedy with brothel scenes, The Town Fop (both published in 1677).

1677 -- The Rover, perhaps Behn's most successful play, produced in March and published the same year.  Two further plays produced at Dorset Garden attributed to Behn, The Debauchee (February) and The Counterfeit Bridegroom (September).

1678 -- Sir Patient Fancy produced in January (published 1678). Nell Gwyn once again took a role, that of Lady Knowell.

1679 -- The Feigned Courtesans, dedicated to Nell Gwyn, produced in the spring at Dorset Garden (published 1679) and the tragi-comedy The Young King in the fall (published 1683).

1681 -- The Second Part of The Rover produced early in the year (published 1681), The False Count in November and The Roundheads in December (both published 1682).

1682 -- The City Heiress produced in the spring, (published 1682) followed by Like Father, Like Son, which was such a failure that it was never published and has since been lost. Behn arrested for an "abusive" prologue, but probably let off with a warning. Merger of the the King's Company and the Duke's Company (where Behn's plays were produced) to form the United Company.

1683 -- Publication of the first part of Love Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister, an epistolary roman à clef, the first major epistolary novel in English literature.

1684 -- Behn's Poems on Several Occasions published.

1685 -- Another collection of poems, Miscellany, published. Death of Charles II; accession of his brother James II.

1686 -- Publication of The Lover's Watch. The Lucky Chance, Behn's first play since the failure of Like Father Like Son, produced at Drury Lane (published 1687).

1687 -- Her farce The Emperor of the Moon produced in March and published the same year.

1688 -- Three prose fiction works by Behn published: The Fair Jilt, Agnes de Castro and her most famous work, Oroonoko. Abdication of James II ("Glorious Revolution").

1689 April -- Death. Buried in Westminster Abbey. Two of her plays produced posthumously: The Widow Ranter (1689 - epilogue by John Dryden) and The Younger Brother (1696).