CHAPTER III

COLONEL GERARDUS BEEKMAN

ERARDUS BEEKMAN, M.D., third
child and second son of Wilhelmus
Beekman, the Founder, baptized
August 17, 1653, ^ied October 10,
1723, married August 29, 1677,
S3J Magdalena Abeel of Albany, N. Y.,
COACH OF GERARDUS BEEKMAM    daughter of Stoffel Jansc Abeel and

Neeltje Janse Croon his wife, bom
in 1657, died October 20, 1745.

Colonel Beekman was a physician and surgeon and resided
in New York and Flatbush, Long Island, and occasionally
on his estate on the Millstone River, New Jersey. In 1685
he was Justice of Kings County, New York. He was Cap¬
tain of militia at Flatbush in 1681, and in 1689 he took the
oath of allegiance and was appointed Major of all the horse
and foot in Kings County as appears by his miHtary commis¬
sion published in Historical Documents of New York, vol.
xxxvi., p. 142. In 1690 and 1691 he was a member of
Leisler's Council. He did not thoroughly agree with Leisler
in politics and when Leisler's conduct caused disturbances.
Dr. Beekman prepared and delivered an address in pacifica¬
tion of the people. When Colonel Sloughter came here as
Deputy Govemor in 1691, to succeed Deputy Govemor
Nicholson, whose government after the accession of WiUiam
of Orange had been overthrown by Leisler, Dr. Beekman
was arrested with Leisler and others and was seventeen

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