Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, KG, PC (21 December 1804 - 19 April 1881) was an English statesman and literary figure. He served in government for three decades, twice as Prime Minister - the first and thus far only person of Jewish descent to do so, although Disraeli was baptised in the Anglican Church at an early age. Disraeli's most lasting achievement was the creation of the modern Conservative Party after the Corn Laws schism of 1846. Although a major figure in the protectionist wing of the Conservative Party after 1846, Disraeli's relations with the other leading figures in the party, particularly Lord Derby, the overall leader, were often strained. Not until the 1860s would Derby and Disraeli be on easy terms, and the latter's succession of the former assured. From 1852 onwards Disraeli's career would also be marked by his often intense rivalry with William Ewart