Reichertpage

Welcome to The Reichert Family Page, which furnishes historical detail beyond the site index, exploring four generations of Reicherts in the line of Georg Reichert of Germany.

11. Anna Constantia Reichert (Nehr) --The mother of Anna Maria Nehr (Feller), Anna Constantia (Constance) was born Dec. 13, 1689 in Germany. She immigrated to NY at age 20 with her parents and siblings, where she married her first husband, Johann Carl Nehr, in 1715, the union which produced their daughter Anna. After Carl died in NY in 1733, she remarried (to Zacharias Haber). Her date of death is unknown (after 1733). Anna’s parents were Joseph Reichert (Joosep Reykert) and Anna Vogel of Germany.

12. Joseph Reichert --The father of Anna Constantia Reichert (Nehr), Joseph was born Jan.12, 1662/3 in Kirchberg, Germany. His first marriage was to Anna Vogel, the mother of Anna Constantia, in 1687. Joseph and his wife immigrated to America in 1709 (Rotterdam list) along with 6 children, including their daughter, Anna. He became an overseer of ye King’s High Ways in the North Ward (Dutchess Co.) in 1726 and is also listed as a representative of the Lutherans. After the death of Anna Vogel, Joseph remarried Anna Maria (?) in 1711. He died ca. 1742/3 in Rhinebeck, NY. Joseph’s parents were Hans Reichert and Constantia Schwarz, of Kirchberg, Germany.

13. (Johannes) Hans Reichert --The father of Joseph Reichert, Hans was born Oct. 24, 1634 in Kirchberg, Murren, Germany. After the death of his first wife, Anna Hartman, Hans married Constantia Schwarz (1632-1678), the daughter of Adam Schwarz of Backnang, Germany in 1658, who was the mother of Joseph Reichert. The death date of Hans (who was also known as Schmidt-Hanseln) is unknown. His parents were Georg and Christine Reichert of Germany.

14. Georg Reichert --The father of Hans Reichert, Georg was born in Germany in 1605. His wife was named Christine (maiden name unknown; 1610-1639). No further details are known about this ancestral line.

Joseph Reichert --further notes

The Rikert-Rykert-Riker Family Manuscript compiled by Smith Henry Riker and Carroll Rikert 1932 A 929.2 9R5392 State Library, Albany, NY copies of the records compiled are also in St Catharines, Ontario Public Library and Toronto Public Library
The Riker-Rikert-Rykert American lineage begins with one of three immigrant ancestors. Abraham Rycken, or de Rycke, is presumed to have emigrated in 1638, locating at the Wallabout, where the Brooklyn Navy Yard now is, and later in New Amsterdam. His descendants spell the name Riker. Joseph Reichert came from Wurtenberg, Germany in 1710, settling first at West Camp, on the Hudson, and four years later removing to Dutchess County. With his descendants the name is Rikert, Rykert, Riker. William Richter, born in Germany about 1716 came to America in 1728, settling probably in Pennsylvania. Their name is now Riker. ("Joseph Riker and Some of His Descendants" by Smith H Riker, Albany, NY, March 1933)

     Joseph Reichert, 1662-1742, a native of Kirchberg, County of Marback, Grand Duchy of Wurtenberg, Germany, came to America in 1710 with a large emigration mainly from the Palatinate. With the beginning of the eighteenth century two currents of immigration rapidly outdistanced all others in numbers, importance and amount of attention which they attracted. These were the Palatinate and the Scotch Irish. The Palatines were so called because their original home was in what was known as the Palatinate, a section of Germany bordering on both sides of the Rhine from Cologne to Manheim. The portion of the country brought it into close relations with the Reformation, and large numbers of the population became protestants. Wars had borne heavily on the Palatinate, when, in 1709, more than 6,000, most of them Lutherans, left their homes and, passing through Holland, crossed over and made England their refuge. Many, being without means, were subsisted by the British government. Some remained in England, some were sent to Ireland, others to Carolina, and about 3,200 men, women, and children to New York. While they were yet in London and the government was considering means for their disposal, in November, 1709, Robert Hunter was appointed governor of the province of New York. Hunter proposed to the government that 3,000 of the Palatines be sent with him to New York to be employed there in the production of turpentine and tar for use in the British navy. The proposal was accepted and the people sailed with Hunter from Plymouth near the end of January 1710. The fleet consisted of ten ships, being the largest immigration to America in colonial days. Beset by storms, the voyage was greatly prolonged. Living conditions were bad aboard the vessels, much sickness prevailed, and more than 470 persons died at sea. The first ship, the LYON, landed at New York June 15. The people disembarked on Nutten, (now Governor's) Island, where they sojourned about three months while the governor and his aides searched for suitable pine lands upon which to settle them. Sickness continued and about 250 died on Nutten Island. After having considered several locations, lands on the Hudson about 115 miles from New York were selected as the most suitable for the purpose. The majority were conveyed up the river in sloops, probably late in September, and were settled on both sides of the river. Two camps were established, one on the west side called West Camp; the other on the east side called East Camp. The latter now is Germantown. The pine trees proved to be of the wrong species to yield the pitch needed for tar, and the tar making enterprise was abandoned two years later.
     Joseph Rikert's name is found first in a "Statement of heads of Palatine families and number of persons in both towns on ye west side of Hudson's River. Winter, 1710." (Dec Hist of NY, Vol. III p 569) The list shows him to be a widower, without children. (However he had 6 children with his first wife Anna Vogel at least some of whom came to America because their descendants later intermarried with their distant half cousins.) The statement contains also the name of Anna Maria Traver, widow with two sons. Joseph Rikert and Anna Maria Traver were married. The marriage is recorded in the West Camp church book, which is still preserved, as follows: "January 9, 1711, Joseph Reichert of Kirchberg, county of Marbach, grand duchy of Wurtemberg, a widower, and Anna Maria, widow of the late Johann Niclaus Traver, a wheelwright, of Wollstein in the county of Creutznach." Tradition says John N Traver died on the voyage to America. The same church book records also the births of two sons born of this marriage: "Johann Bernhard, born December 30, 1711, a child of Joseph and Anna Maria Reichart; sponsers Johann Bernhard Zipperlin and his wife Anna Maria; April 18, 1714, Johann David, born the 17, child of Joseph and Anna Maria Reichert; sponsers Johann Bernhard Zipperlin and his wife." Zipperlin's wife was a sister of Joseph Reichert. The first child seems to have died young. With some 34 of the Palatine families Rikert moved to Duchess county, probably in 1714, there becoming one of the founders of Rhinebeck. The deed of the farm of 76 acres which he purchased there bears the date October 20, 1718. The deed, like about a dozen others, was given some time after he took possession of the land. The deed has been preserved and is filed in the New York Public Library.
      Joseph died probably in 1742. It fell to his lot to help found three churches, all of which have since been continuously active. Upon their arrival at West Camp the Palatines lost no time in providing themselves with a place of worship. The 220th anniversary of this church was celebrated in May, 1930. The original church records contain the earliest American records of the Rikert and many other families. Among the people who removed to Rhinebeck were Lutherans and German Reformers. They jointly built the High Dutch Reformed church and worshiped in it together 15 years. This was the first church in Rhinebeck, and is thought to have been the first in Duchess county. In 1729 the Lutherans sold their share in the church to the Reformers. Joseph Rikert was a Lutheran, and one of the committee to receive the proceeds of the sale. The Lutherans then built themselves a church. This was St Peter's Evangelical Lutheran church. It still functions. The Reformed church was removed to Red Hook in 1800. It is presumed that Joseph Rikert and his wife were buried in St Peter's burying ground. Their graves are not marked.

Thanks to Bonnie Hamilton who collected and originally posted most of these notes.