Benjamin Disraeli's Early Life

Benjamin Disraeli's early life

Benjamin Disraeli, was born in London on 21st December, 1804. He was the eldest son and second of five children born to Isaac D'Israeli and his wife Maria Basevi. Although the family was Jewish, Benjamin was baptised at St. Andrew's Anglican church in 1817. Disraeli's father, an Italian-Jewish baptised his children as Christians. With Jews excluded from parliament until 1858, this enabled Disraeli to pursue a career that would otherwise have been denied him.

Benjamin's father, Isaac Disraeli, was the author of several books on literature and history, including The Life and Reign of Charles I (1828). Benjamin was educated at Miss Roper's school in Islington and then went to Higham Hall School in Walthamstow between 1817 and 1821. In 1824 he was admitted to Lincoln's Inn but he withdrew in 1831. After that Disraeli travelled throughout Europe and the Near East; whilst on his travels he contracted venereal disease and was   subjected to the mercury treatment on his return to England.  Since gonorrhoea causes sterility in males, this may explain why he remained childless. 

Disraeli together with John Murray founded in 1825 a daily newspaper The Representative but it lasted only a few months. Benjamin's early business ventures failed, leaving him heavily in debt. He had a breakdown and for four years did little until he decided to pursue a political and literal career.

Like his father, Isaac Disraeli, Benjamin took a keen interest in literature. His first novel, Vivian Grey was published in April 1826, earning him £200. Seeing that the book sold very well, he followed it by The Young Duke (1831), Contarini Fleming(1832), Alroy (1833), Henrietta Temple (1837) and Venetia (1837). 

Disraeli was well known as a literary and social figure, although his novels are not generally regarded as a part of the Victorian literary canon. He mainly wrote romances, of which Sybil and Vivian Grey are perhaps the best-known today. 

His first steps into political life was when he stood as a candidate for Wycombe in June 1832 but was not elected. He stood three times for Wycombe as an Independent Radical without success, so in 1835 he committed himself to the Tory Party after Lyndhurst, the Lord Chancellor, became his political patron. 

As to his social life, it is quoted that Disraeli had been conducting an affair with Lady Henrietta Sykes since 1833; it seems that her husband was aware of the liaison that continued for three years. They parted in the autumn of 1836. In 1839 Benjamin Disraeli married the extremely wealthy widow, Mary Wyndham Lewis. The marriage was a great success. On one occasion Disraeli remarked that he had married for money, and his wife replied, "Ah! but if you had to do it again, you would do it for love."

Sources:

victorianweb
spartacus.sch
BBC - History
en.wikipedia