vi                                   PREFACE

those who had it not, and he never knew any one make a
boast of it who had anything else to be proud of."

There were several families of the name of Beekman or
Beeckman who came to America at about the same time as
Wilhelmus Beekman, the ancestor whose descendants this
history is intended to enumerate.

In tracing out the various branches of the family it is
necessary to know of the other Beekmans who were pioneers
in the new country and who were not related, as far as
is known, to Wilhelmus Beekman. They were: Jochim
Beekman, who married Margaret Hendricks; John Beekman
of Saratoga County, N. Y.; Christopher Beekman and John
Beekman of Albany, N. Y.,and Hendrick Beekman, who in
1710 lived about three miles above Somerville, N. J., who
married Annetie Quackenbos and is the ancestor of the
Beekmans who settled along the Raritan River in New
Jersey.

In order that there may be less confusion in distinguish¬
ing the descendants of our ancestor William Beekman from
those of Hendrick Beekman or Beeckman, some of the
descendants of the latter are here given.    He had children:

I.    Pieter Beekman, who settled near Somerville, N. J.,
and had no male descendants.

II.    Hendrick Beekman, born June i, 1692; died March
19, 1769, at the age of 'j'j years, and appears never to
have married, for in his will—made in 1769—he devises
and bequeaths all his property to the children of his
brother Martin Beekman to be equally divided between
them.

III.    Martin Beekman, bom in 1685; died October 2y,
1757; married Elizabeth Waldron.

Children:

(i)    Elizabeth  Beekman, bom August 30, 1725; died
November 9, 1810; married Francis Bragin.

(2)    Hendrick Beekman, bom  March 24, 1727; died
January 26, 1796; married Phcebe Bloomfield.

(3)    Samuel Beekman, bom November 26, 1729, died
October   19,    1808;   married   Elizabeth   Waldron,