54 Report of Meetings for 1885. By Jas. Hardy. 



The only wayside plant on the journey to Simonburn differing 

 from what we had seen was Stachys. Betonica, Betony. More of 

 the ground than hitherto had been the case, was in old pasture, 

 some of it very bare. "We had now Nunwick on our right, well 

 protected with woodlands of considerable age. The way-side 

 trees were elms and ashes. Before entering Simonburn we 

 crossed the Crookburn, on whose banks grew many old alders. 

 Following it up we would have reached Tecket and its linn, 

 which with his favourite " Eectory dean," the Rev. John Wallis 

 has rendered classic ground to the botanist ; and it would have 

 been a duty as well as an infinite pleasure, could time have per- 

 mitted, to have lingered there for half an hour, were it for 

 nothing else than in respect to the memory of this devotee to 

 the studies of Natural History and Antiquities. Mr Wallis was 

 the curate of Simonburn. " Here he began to cultivate his 

 botanic genius and filled his little garden with curious plants. 

 The study of botany brought with it a fondness for natural 

 history in general. All his leisure time (and he had but little, 

 for he was unremitting in the duties of his cure), was occupied 

 in traversing the bold and picturesque region in which he dwelt, 

 collecting every curious plant or animal which occurred, with 

 indefatigable care and diligence. The result of these labours 

 was his history of Northumberland, which appeared in 1769." 

 The first volume is chiefly devoted to the natural history of the 

 district. In his botanic researches, he saj's he met with some 

 curious plants, which the indefatigable and accurate Dillenius 

 acknowledged he had never seen in England. The second volume 

 is on the antiquities of the county ; and occupied the labour of 

 twenty years. His merits have never been fully acknowledged ; 

 and some of his plants have not yet been refound ; as will often 

 happen where an author has wrought in a secluded position that 

 naturalists in towns know very little about, or are not in a ready 

 capacity to reach. 



Simonburn is a pleasant open village, with a large free space, 

 or village green in the centre. Some of the rows of older cot- 

 tages are thatched ; the newer slated or tiled ; and there are 

 some better dwellings at wider intervals. The church both ex- 

 ternally and in the freshened interior has a renovated aspect. 



After being conducted into the church, the Eev. Canon Eogers, 

 the vicar, favoured the company with a very interesting paper 



