Firts Old Ancestor - Frans Edward O’ Brien

I am a passionate novice amateur genealogy hobbyist and am still learning about all of this. Here is ONE PART of my genealogy story ..... I have a family mystery that needs to be solved: It is driving me 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 really know why!) - when he arrived in c. 1796, (not verified), from North West Ireland, (supposedly from Calendon.) He was apparently born there in c. 1779 and he died in the Cape of Good Hope c. between 1820 - 1837 (not verified, grave not yet found, died under weird circumstances in a fire - all not verified!). 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. (Not 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 and was located more or less 112 kms from Dublin. He definitely married a Catharina Magdalena Fouche, a French Huguenot lady - in 1807 and they then settled in Robertson, Cape of Good Hope. (Verified) Their children’s names etc. are on myheritage and Geni. (Not all verified with docs yet.) You are welcome to join me on my sites there! So - the verbal family traditions and version of the story goes like this: This old ancestor apparently ran away / deserted from his ancestral and family commitments in Ireland (as I said - what they were and where he really came from - we don’t know ... ) He apparently also deserted from his regiment in Ireland and then his flight took him to the 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, when he arrived in RSA – to show his apparent noble descent and then it became the Dutch/ Afrikaans version - Prins, in order not be found? Not verified. The connection with The Dromoland and Thomond O’ Brien clan, or The O’Niall ( and variants spellings) clans, also come into question. My dad is quite the spitting image of the current Baron of Inchiquin! (Wishful thinking?) This current 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 now trying to establish this old ancestors' specific O' Brien clan in Ireland and if he actually had O’ Brien genes, or maybe even now rather O’ Niall genes in him, or not. ( Very confusing!) Anyway - his supposedly well to do father in Ireland - then according to verbal traditions, sent a fleet of his own ships - because he was a shipmagnate ! - to search for his lost son .... (not verified!) The fleet traced him and they then found him in Cape of Good Hope. They then brought him back to Ireland, his father and family and commitments. What were those commitments? He then ran away again (2nd time) and went to work as a ’’bywoner/ sheppard ’’ on a sheep farm, of this Fouche Huguenot lady, he later married. It is not sure if he had changed his name already the 1st, or 2nd time , from Ireland when he arrived at the Cape, in order to not be found by the father and the regiment. 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! We now did find a Prins family Bible though!!! Amazing new discovery! Names and dates differ from what I have though! Confusing! A copied letter note is also in our possession, where it is mentioned - that the Duke of Bedford - in Cape of Good Hope, recognized him, at the inauguration of the town of Robertson, c. 1852 and /or when the Breede river was flooded and where he gallantly helped out in the crisis. Don't know if this was about the first old man, or his son? Dates are confusing! The names Patrick and John O’ Brien are also maybe becoming 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’’- all according to the handwritten letter note. So - what the forgiveness was (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 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 upbringing. He had a good knowledge of wineries as well. 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? All our branch's cousins's names are Frans Edward O' Brien Greyling ( and variants in the spelling of the Frans and Edward). I have now tested my Dad’s Joseph Philippus Greyling's DNA with myfamiltreeDNA. ( I have no clue what his results all mean yet!!!) Willing and eager to learn though!!! Dad is: RM343 R M269 R +U106 - L159 and R-Z372 WAMH - Western Atlantic Modal Haplotype. (Note: Because the Y DNA of this supposedly F E O’ Brien cannot go through the daughters and my dad’ s link to him, is through the matriarchal lines of Martha Elizabeth Prins, Maria Elizabeth Prins (born Kok) and Elsie Sophia Geldenhuijzen (born Prins) - Dad’s DNA cannot show the O’ Brien DNA. Someone else - a male who is close family and now bears the changed surname Prins and who is more closely linked to this elusive old forefather in his branch in dna - of the Prins name, has been tested but some of his DNA markers show more links towards the O’ Niall / O' Neill clans and not the O’ Brien clans!) Weird! The plot thickens ....... So - was this old Frans Edward O’ Brien ( remember name variants) really an O' Brien in the first place - or not? Calling on all Greyling, Kok, Prins, Prince, Kaltwasser and O' Brien surnames in the world - specifically Ireland and South Africa. Can you, or anyone else PLEASE help! Thanks for your very kind patience to read through all of this! Much appreciated. Wilma Basson (born Greyling)