Gerardus Beekman

Gerardus Willemse Beekman (c. August 1653 – October 10, 1723) was a wealthy physician, land owner, and colonial governor of the Province of New York.

Early life He was christened August 17, 1653 at Corlaer's Hook Plantation, New York, the second son of Wilhelmus Hendricksen Beekman (1623–1707) and Catalina De Boogh. His father was a Dutch immigrant who came to New Amsterdam from the Netherlands on the same vessel as Peter Stuyvesant. Wilhelmus soon became Treasurer of the Dutch West India Company and later became the Mayor of New York City, Governor of Delaware from 1653 to 1664, and Governor of Pennsylvania from 1658 to 1663. His elder brother was Hendrick Beekman. Magdalena's brother was Johannes Abeel (1667–1711), the second mayor of Albany. Together they had:

Divertje "Deborah" Beekman (1674–1737), who married Theunis Hendricksen Wiltse (1674–1741) William Beekman (b. 1679), who died young. Adrian Beekman (1682–1705), who married Aletta Lispenard (c. 1686–1705), relative of Leonard Lispenard Gerard Beekman (1693–1746), who married Anna Maria van Horne (1696-1726) Catherine Beekman

He died in New York City October 10, 1723.

Descendants His grandson, Gerardus Christopher Beekman (died 1778), married Catharine Van Dyke (born 1708), the daughter of John Van Dyke, granddaughter of Jan Janse Van Dyke, and great-granddaughter of Jan Thomasse Van Dyke, who came from Amsterdam in 1652 and is considered to be the progenitor of the Van Dyke family in America. The location of this property is the current Beekman Place. The fireplace mantle of the mansion, which features the Beekman family coat of arms, can be seen at the New York Historical Society.

He is also an ancestor of cartoonist Garretson Beekman Trudeau (born 1948).