, ▁and ▁Andrew ▁Stevens on , ▁while ▁the ▁mint - master ▁John ▁A ches on ▁and ▁John ▁As low an ▁were ▁already ▁working ▁in ▁W an lock head ▁and ▁Gl eng onn ar . ▁ ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 5 6 6 ▁Corn el ius ▁de ▁V os ▁arrived ▁in ▁K es wick ▁in ▁C umb ria ▁with ▁an ▁English ▁and ▁a ▁Scottish ▁partner ▁( wh ose ▁names ▁are ▁unknown ), ▁bringing ▁a ▁sample ▁of ▁sand ▁in ▁a ▁nap kin ▁from ▁the ▁Scottish ▁gold ▁fields , ▁found ▁by ▁a ▁woman ▁worker ▁was hing ▁for ▁gold , ▁a ▁" may de ▁of ▁Scot lande ". ▁The ▁German ▁min ers ▁at ▁K es wick ▁told ▁him ▁the ▁sand ▁was ▁rich ▁in ▁gold . ▁The ▁super visor ▁at ▁K es wick , ▁Thomas ▁Th ur land , ▁noted ▁this ▁as ▁susp icious ▁activity , ▁against ▁Company ▁interests , ▁and ▁reported ▁it ▁to ▁William ▁Cec il . ▁He ▁also ▁wrote ▁to ▁Queen ▁Elizabeth ▁in ▁alarm ist ▁terms ▁about ▁" secret ▁practices ▁with ▁merchant ▁str angers ▁and ▁by ▁some ▁foreign ▁princes ▁to ▁have ▁of ▁the ▁Scottish ▁queen ▁( M ary , ▁Queen ▁of ▁Sc ots ) ▁the ▁mines ▁in ▁C raw ford ▁Mo or ▁n igh ▁ad jo ining ▁to ▁your ▁maj esty ' s ▁west ▁borders ", ▁mines ▁he ▁hoped ▁to ▁work ▁himself . ▁ ▁The ▁Company ▁of ▁M ines ▁Royal ▁tried ▁to ▁get ▁an ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁Scottish ▁gold ▁min ing ▁and ▁p anning ▁from ▁Mary , ▁Queen ▁of ▁Sc ots , ▁but ▁instead ▁Corn el