Johannes "John" Jacobse Beekman (August 8, 1733 – December 17, 1802) was a

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

politician and businessman of

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

descent. He served as

Mayor of Albany, New York From its formal chartering on 22 July 1686 until 1779, the mayors of Albany, New York, were appointed by the royal governor of New York, per the provisions of the original city charter, issued by Governor Thomas Dongan. From 1779 until 1839, may ...

and a member of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assem ...

Early life

Beekman was born on August 8, 1733. He was the youngest of six children born to Debora ( Hansen) Beekman and Jacob Beekman (1685–1739), an Albany businessman and blacksmith. His sister, Debora Beekman, married Gerrit Staats. His paternal grandparents were Johannes Beekman, who was married to Machtel (

Schermerhorn Schermerhorn is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Alkmaar, and lies about 9 km south of Heerhugowaard. History The village was first mentioned in the 14th century as Den Horn, and mean ...

) Beekman. His aunt, Maritje "Mary" Beekman, was the wife of Arnout Schermerhorn (grandparents of merchant

Peter Schermerhorn Peter Schermerhorn (October 1, 1749 – January 28, 1826) was a wealthy New York City merchant and land owner. He was the father of Abraham Schermerhorn and the paternal grandfather of Caroline Schermerhorn Astor. Early life Schermerhorn was b ...

and great-grandparents of

Abraham Schermerhorn Abraham Schermerhorn (April 9, 1783 – February 3, 1850) was a wealthy New York City merchant who was also prominent in social affairs. He was the father of Caroline Schermerhorn Astor, known as the Mrs. Astor. Early life Schermerhorn was bo ...

Career

Beekman was a successful merchant who was one of the wealthiest Albany landowners. In 1756, he was appointed firemaster. In 1763, he was elected Assistant Alderman in the second ward. After several years as assistant Alderman, he was elected Alderman in September 1775. Beekman also served in the

Albany County militia The Albany County militia was the colonial militia of Albany County, New York. Drawn from the general male population, by law all male inhabitants from 15 to 55 had to be enrolled in militia companies, the later known by the name of their commanders ...

becoming a lieutenant by 1768. Early in Revolutionary War, Beekman supported the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

and signed the "General Association" in 1776. He represented the second ward as an involved member of the Albany

Committee of Correspondence The committees of correspondence were, prior to the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, a collection of American political organizations that sought to coordinate opposition to British Parliament and, later, support for American independe ...

. When Albany government resumed operations in 1778, he was again chosen as Alderman for the Second Ward, serving for several years. Beekman was elected to represent Albany in the

in 1780 for the

4th New York State Legislature The 4th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from September 7, 1780, to July 1, 1781, during the fourth year of George Clinton's governorship, first at Poughkeepsie, then at A ...

and in 1782 for the

6th New York State Legislature The 6th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from July 8, 1782, to March 27, 1783, during the sixth year of George Clinton's governorship, first at Poughkeepsie, then at Kings ...

. During his time in the Assembly, he was active in Indian diplomacy. He was appointed mayor of Albany in June 1783, coinciding with the end of the War as Beekman. He served as Mayor until October 1786 when he was succeeded by

John Lansing, Jr. John Ten Eyck Lansing Jr. (January 30, 1754 – vanished December 12, 1829), a Founding Father of the United States, was an attorney, jurist, and politician. Born and raised in Albany, New York, Lansing was trained as a lawyer, and was long in ...

In 1784, he was a regent of the

State University of New York The State University of New York (SUNY, , ) is a system of public colleges and universities in the State of New York. It is one of the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States. Led by c ...

Personal life

On November 22, 1759, he married Maria Janse Sanders (1740–1794), the eldest daughter of John Sanders and Debora ( Glen) Sanders of

Schenectady Schenectady () is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-largest city by population. The city is in eastern New Y ...

. Maria's sister, Margaret, married

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

Killian K. Van Rensselaer Killian Killian Van Rensselaer (June 9, 1763 – June 18, 1845) was an American lawyer and Federalist politician who served in the United States Congress as a Representative from the state of New York. Early life Killian Killian Van Ren ...

. As Johannes was the only surviving son in his family, he inherited his father's house at 52 North Pearl Street in Albany's second ward. Together, they were the parents of: * Jacob Beekman (1761–1817), who married Ann McKinney. * Deborah Beekman (1763–1791), who married

John De Peyster Douw Johannes "John" De Peyster Douw (January 20, 1756 – February 22, 1835) was an American merchant, lawyer, soldier and civic leader. Early life Douw was born on January 20, 1756, and grew up in his parents' home in Albany and their country home k ...

, son of Mayor

Volkert P. Douw Volkert Petrus Douw (March 23, 1720 – March 20, 1801) was a merchant and politician from Albany, New York who was prominent both during colonial times and after the United States was established. Early life Douw was born on March 23, 1720 in A ...

and grandson of Mayor

Johannes de Peyster III Johannes de Peyster or Johannes de Peyster III (1694 – February 27, 1789) was the Mayor of Albany, New York three times between 1729 and 1742. Early life De Peyster was born in 1694. He was the son of Johannes De Peyster Jr. and Anna Bancker ...

, in 1787. * Barent Sanders Beekman (1767–1767), who died young. * Machtel "Matilda" Beekman (1768–1837), who married Douw Jacob Fonda (1769–1842) in 1794. * Sarah Beekman (1771–1792), who died unmarried. * Evje "Effie" Beekman (1774–1792), who died unmarried. * John Sanders Beekman (1781–1845), who died young. His wife died on November 2, 1794. Beekman died in Albany on December 17, 1802.

Descendants

Through his daughter Deborah, he was a grandfather of Volkert Peter Douw (1790–1869).

References

External links

Guide to the Beekman Family Papers: 1652-1937
at the

New-York Historical Society The New-York Historical Society is an American history museum and library in New York City, along Central Park West between 76th and 77th Streets, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The society was founded in 1804 as New York's first museum. ...

. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ten Broeck, Abraham 1733 births 1802 deaths American people of Dutch descent Mayors of Albany, New York 18th-century American politicians Members of the New York State Assembly