Wilhelmus Hendricksen Beekman – also known as William Beekman and Willem Beekman – was a Dutch immigrant to America who came to New Amsterdam from the Netherlands in the same vessel with Director-General and later Governor Peter Stuyvesant.

Peter Stuyvesant was a Dutch colonial officer who served as the last Dutch director-general of the colony of New Netherland from 1647 until it was ceded provisionally to the English in 1664, after which it was split into New York and New Jersey with lesser territory becoming parts of other colonies, and later, states. He was a major figure in the early history of New York City and his name has been given to various landmarks and points of interest throughout the city.