Andreas was prominent in the early Old Goshenhoppen Lutheran Church and a full biography was given of him in their records. It was written in 1751, said he was age 42, born 1709; son of Christopher who was still living and his wife Anna Maria deceased; married Susanna daughter of Andreas Baumann in 1733; Susanna died 13 Aug 1744; came to America in 1731 with his father; had children: Joh Valentin, Anna Marg, Leonhard, Johann Wilhelm, Philip and Johann Heinrich; birthdays for those children were given, of interest to me is that Leonard was born 1 May 1737.

Despite that biography, it was later determined by the American Boyers Association, that his wife was Susanna Catharina Bergheimer.

IMMIGRANT. Came to America with his father in 1731.

Will of Andrew Boyer of Frederick Township 9 Apr 1777 6 Jul 1778. Mentions wife Anna Mary, says he has five sons but only four are named. Eldest Valentine. Refers to agreement of 16 Nov 1772 between he and son Leonard whereby Leonard will take care of his widow. Sons William and Philip to be Executors.

His birth date is given as 30 Nov 1709 in American Boyers. But the church record when he was buried in Jun 1778 said he was 69 years 6 months old which would suggest he was born in Nov 1708.

I think there is a fascinating story here. Andreas Bayer was an ancestor of my grandmother, Radie Diehl, as was his first wife Susanna Berkheimer. After Susanna died, Andreas married second a woman named Anna Maria, the widow of Johannes Bickhardt. Anna Maria and Johannes Bickhardt were the ancestors of my grandfather, J O Mertz, husband of Radie Diehl.

Radie and J O were not related, it is that this second marriage took place so long ago between an ancestor of each: Radie’s 4g-grandfather and J O’s 5g-grandmother.

Andreas wrote his will 9 April 1777 and named wife Anna Mary and though he said he had five sons, he named four: Valentine (eldest), Leonard, Philip and William. (Son Heinrich went unnamed.) He did not name or refer to a daughter, so she must have died, without issue, prior to 1777. His will proved 6 Jul 1778.

I found the name of her parents in a book on the Vallentine family written by John F Vallentine who descends, as we do, from Leonard Boyer and Margaret Johnson. He documents some things in his book I have found nowhere else, including the fact that Susanna Catharina was the daughter of Balthaser and Anna Margaretha.

IMMIGRANT. “American Boyers” says, based on information provided by a historian of the Berkheimer family, that Susanna came to America with her brother Hans Wilhelm on the ship Samuel 11 Aug 1732. There was such a woman listed on that ship and she was 18. And also on board were Wilhelm 26 and Salome, his wife, 25.

The biography of Andreas Bayer in the records of Old Goshenhoppen Lutheran says his wife was Susanna Baumann and that they married 8 Jul 1733, but those facts have been disputed and the more considered opinion seems to be that she was Susanna Berkheimer.

In fact, according to the Vallentine book, the marriage of Andreas and Susanna Catarina was recorded by Rev. Stoever of Trappe (Augustus) Church -- it was 1 Jul 1733 and her name was clearly stated as Susanna Catarina Bergheimerin, daughter of Balthaser.

There is an Ancestry.com family tree that says that the second wife of Andreas Bayer was named Anna Mary Horberger but it seems to be based solely on a statement by someone else that she was Anna Elisabeth Horberger (widow of John Horberger).

It's hard to see how Anna Elisabeth (Nee ?) Horberger (probably Hornberger anyway) fits into this picture at all and that tree seems of no help at all in trying to determine the maiden name of Johannes' wife.

Anna Maria may have been the wife of Johannes and mother of Barbara. Robert Bickhart says that was her name but he may well have made the same logical deduction that I have as follows:

We also know that Susanna, first wife of Andreas Bayer, died in 1744. And that when he died in 1778 that his wife was named Anna Maria. The will of Andrew Boyer, Frederick Twp, Phila Co dated 9 Apr 1777 proved 6 Jul 1778 mentioned wife Anna Mary and his children but not his step-children.

Her first mention was at a 1756 baptism where she is said to be of the Reformed faith (as opposed Lutheran like Andreas).

I would never have known the name of the wife of Johannes Bickhardt -- there is no record naming them as a couple or in which he named his wife -- except that the records of Old Goshenhoppen Lutheran church list two instances where daughters of Johannes Bickhardt, deceased, were listed as sponsors at baptisms. The daughters were: Dorothea in 1754 and Maria Barbara (future wife of Adam Hilbish) in 1758. In both cases, the daughters were also identified as step-daughters of Andreas Bayer. And the evidence is that the name of Andreas’ wife from about 1754 to his death in 1777 was Anna Maria.

So, the conclusion is that Anna Maria, second wife of Andreas Bayer, had been first married to Johannes Bickhart. So, we know her given name using this process of logical deduction -- now it would be nice someday to learn her maiden name. But as of now, I have no idea. Nor do I know whether Johannes married Anna Maria back in Germany or if they met and married once Johannes had come to America.

From the records of Old Goshenhoppen Reformed. “29 Apr 1788 old Mrs. Boyer was buried age 78y 8m 17d [12 Aug 1709].” The assumption is this was Andreas' second wife Anna Maria.