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List of British Jewish nobility and gentry facts for kids

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The British nobility is made up of two main groups: the peerage and the gentry. The peerage includes people who hold special titles, usually passed down through families. These titles are given by the British King or Queen. Only the oldest member of a family usually gets to use a main title like duke, marquess, earl, viscount, or baron. The gentry are generally members of the upper class who don't have these special titles. However, some gentry do have titles, such as baronets or knights.

The history of the Jews in Britain began a very long time ago, around the time of William the Conqueror. The first official record of Jewish people living in England is from 1070. However, some historians think Jews might have been there even earlier, during Roman times. Jewish communities lived in England until King Edward I ordered them to leave in 1290.

After this, there wasn't a Jewish community in Britain for a long time. Only a few individuals secretly practiced Judaism. This changed during the time of Oliver Cromwell. Even though Cromwell didn't officially invite Jews back, a small group of Sephardic Jews living in London was allowed to stay in 1656.

Later, in 1753, a law called the Jewish Naturalisation Act tried to make it legal for Jews to live in Britain. But this law only lasted a few months. A big step for Jewish people in Britain happened in 1858. The Jews Relief Act finally allowed practicing Jews to become members of Parliament. This was a key moment for Jewish people to gain full rights in the United Kingdom.

The first Jewish person to become a knight was Sir Solomon de Medina in 1700. After him, no other Jews were knighted until 1837, when Queen Victoria knighted Moses Montefiore. Four years later, Isaac Goldsmid became the first Jew to receive a hereditary title (a title that can be passed down in a family) when he was made a baronet. In 1885, Nathan Rothschild, 1st Baron Rothschild, became the first Jew to receive a peerage title, which is a very high noble rank.

Peerage Titles: High Noble Ranks

Peerage titles are special ranks given by the monarch. They are usually passed down from parent to child.

Marquessates: A High Peerage Rank

Earldoms: Another Important Peerage Title

Viscountcies: A Rank Below Earl

Hereditary Baronies: Titles Passed Down

These barony titles can be passed down through families.

Extant Baronies: Still Existing

Extinct Baronies: No Longer Existing

Life Peerages: Titles for Life

Lord young of Graffham
David Young, Baron Young of Graffham

Life peerages are titles given to individuals for their lifetime. They are not passed down to their children. Many Jewish people have received life peerages for their contributions to society.

Some notable Jewish life peers include:

Other Hereditary Titles

Baronetcies: Hereditary Knighthoods

Baronetcies are hereditary titles, meaning they can be passed down. They are a bit like hereditary knighthoods, ranking below a baron but above a knight.

Extant Baronetcies: Still Existing

  • Lopes baronets of Maristow
    • Sir Manasseh Masseh Lopes, 1st Baronet (converted to Christianity)
  • Rothschild baronets of Grosvenor Place
    • Sir Anthony de Rothschild, 1st Baronet
  • Jessel baronets of Ladham House
  • Tuck baronets of Park Crescent
    • Sir Adolph Tuck, 1st Baronet
  • Leon baronets of Bletchley Park
    • Sir Herbert Samuel Leon, 1st Baronet
  • Magnus baronets of Tangley Hill
    • Sir Philip Magnus, 1st Baronet
  • Cassel baronets of Lincoln's Inn
    • Sir Felix Maximilian Schoenbrunn Cassel, 1st Baronet
  • Joseph baronets of Portsoken

Extinct Baronetcies: No Longer Existing

Moses Montefiore
Sir Moses Montefiore, Bt
  • Goldsmid baronets of St John's Lodge
    • Sir Isaac Goldsmid, 1st Baronet was the first Jew to receive a hereditary title.
  • Montefiore baronets of East Cliff Lodge
  • Goldsmid-Stern-Salomons baronets of Broom Hill
  • Sassoon baronets of Kensington-gore
    • Sir Albert Abdullah David Sassoon, 1st Baronet
  • Faudel-Phillips baronets of Grosvenor Gardens
    • Sir George Faudel Faudel-Phillips, 1st Baronet
  • Speyer baronets of Grosvenor Street
  • Sassoon baronets of Bombay
    • Sir Jacob Elias Sassoon, 1st Baronet
  • David baronets of Bombay
    • Sir Sassoon David, 1st Baronet
  • Oppenheimer baronets of Stoke Poges
    • Sir Bernard Oppenheimer, 1st Baronet
  • Beit baronets of Tewin Water
  • D'Avigdor-Goldsmid baronets of Somerhill
    • Sir Osmond Elim d'Avigdor-Goldsmid, 1st Baronet
  • Wolfson baronets of St. Marylebone

Scottish Feudal Baronies

Other Non-Hereditary Titles

Judicial Lordships: For Judges

  • John Dyson, Lord Dyson

Knighthoods: A Title of Honour

Knighthoods are titles given for service to the country, but they are not passed down through families.

Some Jewish people who have been knighted include:

Honorary Knighthoods: For Non-British Citizens

These are special knighthoods given to people who are not British citizens, to honour their achievements.

See also

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List of British Jewish nobility and gentry Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.