by W J Chetwode Crawley
The Masonic Book Club has long published old Masonic Classics which are out-of-print. From the Regius Poem, to Anderson’s Constitutions, to the Ahiman Rezon the Club’s members have been interested in the earliest constitutions and old charges to be found. The 2002 Club book is CAEMENTARIA HIBERNICA, a facsimile of the Old Constitution and Rules of the Grand Lodge of Ireland. The book is often quoted by researchers delving into the history of Freemasonry in Ireland and The Grand Lodge of England. In fact it was used in researching the Ahiman Rezon reprinted as one of The Masonic Book Club’s earliest publications The book is itself the third reprint of the Irish Constitutions. It was chosen as this year’s book, because it was authored by W. J. Chetwode Crawley, LL.D. one of the most prolific Masonic writers and critics of his day. He was able to place more than 30 articles in the publications of the world famous Quatuor Coronati Lodge, E…L… between 1885 and 1915.
It was Crawley who was able to persuade the Grand Lodge to reprint its Constitutions. Included is a letter from Crawley to one George T. Bennett. In the letter Crawley quietly explains why the book he published was printed with only 35 copies. To further explain his position he sent Bennent a copy of The Westminster Journal which contains articles about the Scald-Miserables a group which brought scorn on the Masonic Fraternity by Mocking its rituals and ideals. Crawley included a short part of that Journal in his facsimile. Hatred of the Craft was rampant at that point in history.
A second reason for reprinting the Caementaria Hibernica is the fact that it includes copies of several certificates of historical consequence, a list of the subscribers to print the book, and tables of THE SUCCESSION OF GRAND OFFICERS OF THE GRAND LODGE OF IRELAND 1725-1900.
We hope that you will study and compare this book to the other Constitutions reprinted by The Masonic Book Club as aforementioned in this note. It was our intent to give you a book beautiful by nature and enjoyable as you read and study it.
Westphalia Press 