Wilhelmus Beekman (April 28, 1623 – September 21, 1707)

"The Beekmans were steadfast Protestants from the time that Martin Luther protested against the corruptions of the Church of Rome in 1521." (History of the Beekman Family, Rootsweb)

 Wilhelmus Beekman is reported to be my 7th Great Grandfather on the Somers side of the family. His  Great Granddaughter, Catherine Arden, married Capt. John Somers (Rev. War – my 4th Great Grandfather) in 1780 and they settled in Caswell County, NC. After John died, she married an officer named Lemmon. (I live near Fort Lemmon in Monroe County, Illinois, but haven't yet determined if it is named after Catherine's second husband.)

Wilhelmus Beekman's grandfather, Rev. Gerardus Beekman (1558-1625) was active in promoting the Reformed religion and "was one of the distinguished scholars who translated the King James Bible from the original manuscripts into English for James I and for his services received special honors from the King.[12]" (Wikipedia)

Here is more information from Wikipedia:

Painting of Wilhelmus Beekman

Wilhelmus Beekman (April 28, 1623 – September 21, 1707) — also known as William Beekman and Willem Beekman (or Beeckman) — was a Dutch immigrant to America who came to New Amsterdam (now New York City) from the Netherlands in the same vessel (the ship Princess, on May 27, 1647) with Director-General (afterwards Governor) Peter Stuyvesant. Beekman soon became Treasurer of the Dutch West India Company, beginning a long life in public service that included being Mayor of New York City,[1][2][3][4] Governor of Delaware, 1653-1664 and Governor of Pennsylvania, 1658-1663.[5][6][7][8]

Family: 

Wilhelmus (William, Willem) Beekman lived at a time when Europe was engaged in religious wars and Protestants had begun to seek refuge from persecution. He was the founder of the Beekman family in America.[5] 

Wilhelmus Beekman was the son of Hendrick Beekman, born at Hasselt, Overijssel, Netherlands April 28, 1623; died September 21, 1707. Hendrick married in 1621 at Zutphen, the Netherlands, Mary Baudartius, daughter of the theologian William Baudartius.[9] William Baudartius was one of Dutch Calvinism's most zealously orthodox protagonists. As his participation in the Synod of Dort suggests, Baudartius enjoyed considerable stature as an intellectual leader.[10] At the Synod he had participated not only in the formulation of the doctrines of the Dutch Reformed Church, but also in prescribing its forms of worship. Furthermore, he was one of the handful of scholars selected to make the authorized translation of the Bible into Dutch. In 1632 when the Old Testament translation was completed after many years of effort, it was immediately acclaimed on all sides and has been employed ever since.[11]

Wilhelmus Beekman's grandfather, Rev. Gerardus Beekman (1558-1625) born at Cologne, May 17, 1558; died at Emmerich, January 31, 1625; married Agnes Stunning, at Cleves, who was born January 13, 1557, and died at Mülheim, Germany on March 10, 1614.[12][13] Gerardus Beekman received a University education and studied theology at Frankendale in the Palatinate Region, during the years 1576-78. He became one of the most learned scholars of his time. He is said to have been able to “speak, think and dream” in five languages.[14][15][16] 

Arms granted by James I

Gerardus Beekman lived in the stirring times succeeding the religious movement begun by Martin Luther, when a fanatical warfare was waged between the Catholics and the followers of the reformed religion, known as the French Wars of Religion. The persecution of Protestants by the Archbishop of Cologne was the cause of Gerardus' settling in the neighboring city of Mülheim, a refuge for Protestants. Rev. Gerard Beekman took a prominent part in the support of the principles of the new church and was chosen one of the delegates to visit the Duke of New Berg, the Elector of Brandenburg and James I to secure their support in behalf of the reformed religion.[17] His mission executed with so much credit to himself, James I caused the coat of arms of the Beekman family to be remodelled, to "a rose on either side of a running brook".[18] Rev. Gerardus Beekman was one of the distinguished scholars who translated the King James Bible from the original manuscripts into English for James I and for his services received special honors from the King.[12]

You can learn more about Wilhelmus Beekman and his accomplishments at Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelmus_Beekman, The History of the Beekman Family at Rootsweb: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~beekman/index.html  and this family website of Henry Livingston:  http://www.iment.com/maida/familytree/henry/bios/mayorwilhelmbeekman.htm