Gilbert Livingston Beeckman

Beeckman was born on October 7, 1823, in New York City, New York. He was the son of Henry Beekman (1774–1857) and Catherine McPhaedris (née Livingston) Beeckman (1789–1863). His elder brother was John Henry Beeckman (who married Margaret Gardiner, daughter of David Gardiner, in 1848 at the Virginia plantation of her brother-in-law, former President John Tyler)^[1][2] and his elder sister was Helen Smith Beekman (the wife of John Andrew Graham).^[3]

His family ancestry can be traced back to Dutch settlers of New Amsterdam and his ancestors include Robert Livingston the Elder, Declaration signer Philip Livingston and "The Chancellor" Robert Livingston.^[4] His paternal grandparents were Johannes Beekman and Hendrickje (née van Buren) Beekman. His maternal grandparents were Gilbert Robert Livingston (a grandson of Gilbert Livingston) and Martha De Lancey (née Kane) Livingston.^[5]

Beeckman became a merchant like his father before him. In 1855, he was listed as a wholesale dealer in foreign merchandise at 48 Broadway and was worth an estimated $150,000 and was a partner in Bowers, Beeckman, & Bradford, Jr. (which was Beeckman with Samuel D. Bradford of West Roxbury, Massachusetts, Henry Bowers Jr. of Yonkers, New York, Henry Beeckman Graham of New York and Samuel D. Bradford Jr. of Astoria), located at 82 Vesey Street.^[6]

Beeckman's elder brother John and their cousin Henry Beeckman Livingston both set up a mercantile operating during the California Gold Rush.^[7] His brother accidentally shot himself to death during a hunting trip there in 1850.^[3]

Beeckman's business was severely affected by the Panic of 1873 before suffering a heart attack two days before Christmas 1874 which led to his death.^[8]