Bouchain, Jean (…-…). Musician

Planchart: Jehan Bouchain (probably Jehan de Torgoin, alias Bouchain): documented as a chorister in an undated entry in the aumosne for 1416-17 [LAN, 4G 7759 (1416-17), 9v], and a small vicar in two entries, one before All Saints and another on Easter in the aumosne for 1419-20 [LAN, 4G 7759 (1419-20), 7v-8r]. There is also a chorister documented in undated entries in the aumosne for 1419-20 [LAN, 4G 7759 (1419-20), 8r], 1420-21 [LAN, 4G 7760 (1420-21), 8r], and 1421-22 [LAN, 4G 7760 (1421-22), 7v], called Jacques de Torgoin, alias Bouchain, in the first entry, Jacques the brother of Bouchain in the second, and Haquinet Bouchain (probably a confusion) in the third, when he was leaving the choristers. There could be little doubt that Jehan and Jacques were brothers, and Torgoin may well be a misspelling of Turcoing near Lille. Jehan Bouchain disappears from the disappears from the Cambrai records until 1457-58, when one Jehan de Bouchain is admitted as a chaplain of St. Géry [LAN, 7G 2956 (1457-58), 3v] and remains the lists until 1473-73 [LAN, 7G 2956 (1472-73), 4r], when he is the first chaplain. The accounts of the fabric of St. Géry for that year note that Jehan de la Mort, alias Bouchain, paid 36 s to the officium adventitiarum et releviorum when he exchanged his chaplaincy for an unnamed benefice with Jacques Faurel, alias Cobe [LAN, 7G 2225 (1472-73), 1v]. If this is the same man as the small vicar we have a toponymic, a patronymic, and a sobriquet for him.
• Il doit être le “Bouchain” nommé dans le motet Nove cantum melodie de Binchois (cf. Marix 1939, p. 175)