I have a family mystery that needs to be solved: It is driving my crazy and I have searched and hit this brick wall, for many years now!
Person:
Old Ancestor Frans Edward O’ Brien – apparently changed his surname from O’Brien to Prins, ( we don’t not know why!), when he arrived in c. 1796 , from North West Ireland (apparently from Calendon.)
He was apparently born in c. 1779 in Caledon Ireland and died in the Cape of Good Hope in c. 1861
We think he was in the Royal Irish Dragoons and that he was maybe in either the 8th, 9th or 10 th to 14th Regiments. No verified.
We think this Caledon place, was from the Province Ulster, County Tyrone, Barony of Dungannon, Parish Augaloo / Ageloo?.
Caledon was called Kennard in the old times located more or less 112 kms from Dublin.
He married Catharina Magdalena Fouche, a French Huguenot - in 1807 and they then settled in Robertson, Cape.
Their children’s names etc. are on myheritage and geni.
So - the verbal family traditions and version of the story goes like this:
This old ancestor apparently ran away / deserted his ancestral and family commitments (what they were and where he really came from - we don’t know)
He apparently also deserted from his regiment in Ireland, running away and then deserted to Cape of Good Hope, in South Africa.
We were told that his family were very rich and from noble descent. Castles etc. - hence maybe the name Prins ( maybe it was even spelled Prince in the beginning – to show his apparent noble descent and then it became the Afrikaans version - Prins?
The connection with The Dromoland and Thomond O’ Brien clan, or The O’Niall ( and variants spellings) clans also comes into question. My dad is the spitting image of the current Baron of Inchiquin.(Wishful thinking?)
This Baron of Inchiquin is Conor Myles John O'Brien, 18th Baron Inchiquin, (born 17 July 1943) and is the holder of a hereditary peerage in the Peerage of Ireland, as well as Chief of the Name of O'Brien and Prince of Thomond in the Gaelic Irish nobility.
We are trying to establish this old ancestors' clan in Ireland and if he has actually O’ Brien genes, or maybe rather O’ Niall genes in him, or not.
Anyway - his well to do father in Ireland - then apparently sent a fleet of his own ships, to search for his lost son.
The fleet traced him and they then found him in Cape of Good Hope.
They brought him back to Ireland and his father and family.
He then ran away again (2nd time) and then he went to work as a ’’bywoner/ sheppard ’’ on a sheep farm, of this Huguenot lady, he later married.
It is not sure if he had changed his name already the 1st or 2nd time when he arrived at the Cape, in order to not be found.
He apparently played the violin in his little shack and the beautiful music was heard in the Huguenot family’s house.
There are stories of a Stradivarius violin, somewhere packed away on a farm in the Cape – no trace of it yet and the search goes on!
A copied letter note is in our possession, where it is mentioned - that the Duke of Bedford - in Cape of Good Hope, apparently recognized him, at the inauguration of the town of Robertson, c. 1852 and /or when the Breede river was flooded and he gallantly helped out there in the crisis.
The name Patrick O’ Brien is also maybe becomming an option – not verified yet, as this is also mentioned on the small letter note.
This Duke of Bedford’s house in RSA - is the currently the country manor - called Cascade, in the Breede River Valley.
The Duke Of Bedford said – ‘’he will provide forgiveness and that this F E O’ Brien (Prins) must come back’’- according to the letter note.
So what the forgiveness were (maybe primarily for deserting from the army and The Dukes’ Regiments???) – we don’t know.
We also do not know if this old ancestor was maybe just an old rogue or crook or very shrewd - to tell these stories, only to impress his new to be bride and soon to be in-laws!
He was then asked to move into their house and to eat at their table, instead of having his meals outside the house - as all could see he was from noble descent and fine upbrigning.
So - was this old elusive Frans Edward O’ Brien, really an O Brien, or not - and why did he then changed his name to Prins, of all surnames?
I have now tested my Dad’s DNA with myfamiltreeDNA and am awaiting a few more results, like the 111 and BIGY in a few weeks.
He is:
R M269
R +U106
- L159
WAMH - Western Atlantic Modal Haplotype.
(Note: Because the Y DNA of this supposedly F E O’ Brien – ( surname then changed to Prins) cannot go through the daughters of this elusive ol man and my dad’ s link to him - is through the matriarchal line of Maria Elizabeth Prins (born Kok) - Dad’s DNA cannot show O’ Brien DNA. Someone else who is close family and bears the Prins surname and who is more closely linked to this elusive old forefather, has however been tested and his DNA shows more a link towards the O’ Niall clans and not the O’ Brien clans!)
So - was this old elusive Frans Edward O’ Brien, really an O' Brien, or not - and why did he then changed his name to Prins, of all surnames?
Calling on all Fouche, Prins, Prince and O'Brien surnames - Can you or anyone else help with any information on this mystery?
Thanks Wilma
