Person:Andreas Reich (1)

Farmer and later Mayor.

He was born in 1706, the second son of Hans Reich by his first [second?] marriage. At the time of his first marriage in 1732, he took over his father's farm at the price of 1500 fl. For a homestead he was 300 fl. short. 300 fl. he had to pay in cash. The rest was divided into 34 unequal yearly installments, payable May 1st. The name of his first wife is unknown. She died, childless, in 1737.

The same year he married his second wife, Barbara (last name illegible, maybe Haien). She died in February of 1753, leaving two children. The younger one, three years old, followed his mother around Easter of 1754. The older one, Johannes, is ID # 513 in the Family Tree. He then married his third wife, Maria Barbara, daughter of Hans Jorg Bessler, owner of the "Lime Tree Inn" in Dornhan. Besides her dowery, she got 300 fl. in cash. A cow was also listed as part of her dowery.

Andreas Reich died "13 days before July 21, 1772" at the age of 70. He had been mayor for 30 years, since 1742. While he was in office, the wooden bridge "Heimbachbrucke" was replaced in 1755 by a stone bridge. His name was engraved at the southern end of the bridge. (This bridge was renovated in 1913, and then torn down in 1963-4 to be replaced by a new and wider concrete bridge.)

ID # 47 on Family Tree.

[Chronicle of the Reich Family at Betzweiler - Mayor Jackle, November, 30, 1903]