Chief Rabbis of England

The provincial communities generally affiliated themselves with the Great Synagogue in London and the Rabbi of The Great was acknowledged as their spiritual head. Initially the Rabbi of the Great was not acknowledged as such by the members of the Hambro, but when Hart Lyon became Rabbi of the Great in 1758 it was agreed that henceforward the Rabbi of the Great would be recognised by all Ashkenazi communities as the Chief Rabbi of Jews throughout Britain, and in due course the Empire as well.