Cornelius de Vos
In 1558 Cornelius de Vos was in London, and married Helen, the widow of a butcher, Nicholas Howe, and John Gylmyne.
[10] In October 1566 Cornelius de Vos arrived in Keswick in Cumbria with an English and a Scottish partner (whose names are unknown).
The supervisor at Keswick, Thomas Thurland, noted this as suspicious activity, possibly against his or Company interests, and reported it to William Cecil.
Meanwhile, Cornelius de Vos and his business partners, two London merchants Anthony Hickman and John Achillay, gained a permit to work salt at Newhaven from Mary and the Earl of Bothwell shortly after their marriage in May 1567.
Cornelius however still lacked knowledge of chemistry and mineralogy and, as reported by George Nedham, again had to send one of his workers, a Dutch miner called Rennius, to Daniel Hechstetter at Keswick to assay samples of sand.
Cornelius de Vos approached the English ambassador Henry Killigrew in August 1574 with a message for William Cecil about the mines, presumably seeking investment and sponsorship.
[16] On 7 February 1575 Morton lent £500 to Cornelius de Vos and his three German or "Almain" partners, Abraham Peterson, Johnne Kelliner, and Helias Clutene.
[22] A "Cornelis Clewtinge de Vos" , Dutchman, was buried at St Nicholas Acons in London on 11 December 1586, who was perhaps this mining entrepreneur.
[26] Atkinson states that Cornelius de Vos went into Scotland with a recommendation from Elizabeth I of England, was given permission to prospect and found rich ore, which describes the events of October 1566.
Atkinson mentions a Scottish workman John Gibson of Crawford town who worked at "Glengaber Water" (Glengonnar), who he claims to have met, and another Dutch miner, Abraham Grey, who he found in the records.
[29] Regent Morton had a basin made of Wanlockhead gold and presented it to the king of France, apparently to advertise Scotland's mineral wealth.
[30] Atkinson takes up the subject of Cornelius de Vos again, as a story from the reign of Elizabeth, "some forty years past", after describing his own recent personal involvement with Scottish gold, Hilderston silver, and John Murray of the Bedchamber.
Hilliard's efforts and influence secured a patent for Cornelius de Vos, (perhaps meaning a letter of recommendation from Elizabeth to Morton).
Abraham Peterson, the partner and successor of Cornelius de Vos, was a Dutch or Flemish metal worker or artist, as well as a mining entrepreneur, who worked in the Scottish mint and designed coins for Regent Morton, including placks and bawbees in April 1576.
Cornelius never repaid this loan, and after Morton was executed in 1581, Reid and Skathowie's heirs were liable to repay the money to the Earl of Lennox.
