In 1838, William Tanner Young was appointed as the first British Consul in Jerusalem, which at the time was under Ottoman rule. From 1839 until 1914, Britain had a Consul in Jerusalem:

• 1839 – 1845: William Tanner Young
• 1846 – 1863: James Finn
• 1863 – 1890: Noel Temple Moore
• 1890 – 1906: John Dickson
• 1906 – 1909: Edward C. Blech
• 1909 – 1912: Peter J.C. McGregor
  
  

Britain declared war on Turkey on 5th November 1914.In 1917 the British Army, under the command of General Allenby, entered Jerusalem. After the First World War, Palestine was under British military administration until July 1st 1920 when Sir Herbert Louis Samuel was appointed High Commissioner and a Civil Administration was set up.The British administration built the Government House in Jabal Al Mukaber to serve as its headquarters.

The Country was divided into four districts, administered by Governors. The first District Governor of Jerusalem was Ronald Storrs. The district arrangement changed slightly over the next few years: by 1927 there were only two districts – Northern and Southern – and a sub-district for Jerusalem, administered initially by an Assistant District Commissioner, later by a Deputy District Commissioner.

By 1932 this had changed again, to three districts – Northern, Southern and Jerusalem – each with a District Commissioner. A fourth district (Galilee) had been added by 1938. In 1946 there were six districts: the District Commissioner for Jerusalem at that time was Captain J.H.H.Pollock.

In 1947 Britain referred the problem of Palestine to the United Nations and the British Government formally announced the termination of its mandate on 15 May 1948. The first Consul-General was appointed on 15 May, 1948.

In 1956, the British Consulate-General was based on the Jordanian side of Jerusalem, with an office on the Israeli side. In 1964, a Consul-General was appointed in the Old City of Jerusalem (Jordanian side) with a Consul based in West Jerusalem.

Following brief stints in a number of locations in the city, in 1965 the British Government purchased the Sheikh Jarrah site for the construction of the Consulate-General.

In 1967, UNTSO returned to using the Government Houses in Jabal Al Mukaber as Headquarters according to an agreement made in 1948.

The new building of the Consulate-General in 19 Nashashibi Street in Sheikh Jarrah, Jerusalem was completed in 1968.

The Consulate General remains based in 19 Nashashibi Street in Sheikh Jarrah until this day.

An Embassy in Tel Aviv handles British Israeli relations.