John Wallis was a Northumberland naturalist and antiquity. As an aside from an unremarkable career in the Church, where he served as curate of Billingham, near Stockton-on-Tees, Wallis took a great interest in the natural history of the North East of England. He built up a small library of books on natural history at Billingham and after his retirement, at Norton-on-Tees, and corresponded with Thomas Pennant and the Darlington antiquary George Allan (1736-1800).
Alongside his church duties, Wallis spent 20 years preparing this work on the natural history and antiquities of Northumberland based on finds made during three tours of the county. Arranged according to the system devised by John Ray, the first volume concerned plants, animals, minerals and fossils, while the second looked at antiquities.

Prior to its acquisition for the Royal Library by William IV, this book was owned by the Bishop of Durham, William van Mildert. Van Mildert was an important figure in the founding of the University of Durham in 1832.