I remembered then that my father had once told of a man who devoted much of his life to wandering about compiling notes for a history of England. He had walked the cart roads and lanes, roamed along the seashore, and explored many ruins left unnoticed before his time. My father had traveled with him a time or two for a few days. His name, I recalled, was John Leland. (from Sackett's Land, by Louis L'Amour)
Anyone who is at all acquainted with the history of Baptists in America knows the name John Leland, whose influence played a large part in the insertion of the Bill of Rights into our constitution. The John Leland (1503-1552) whom L'Amour mentions in this book was a real person, also. He has been described as "the father of English local history and bibliography." He served as the tutor to the son of the 2nd Duke of Norfolk.
In 1533, Leland apparently was granted a commission by the King, which authorized him to examine and use the libraries of all religious houses in England. He spent years compiling lists of important volumes and taking measures to encourage their preservation.