In 1775 John Clinch, a young surgeon/ missionary, left the relative comforts of England for the New-found-land in pursuit of adventure and a life of service. Over twenty years later, after years of scientific research in England, Edward Jenner developed the first effective method of preventing smallpox, the dreaded disease that for centuries maimed, blinded, and killed untold millions. Soon after his discovery Edward Jenner had his smallpox vaccine sent across the vast Atlantic to John Clinch, Jenner’s schoolmate, fellow surgeon-apprentice, lifelong friend and confidant. History credits John Clinch for administering the first smallpox vaccinations in North America to more than seven hundred people in Trinity, Newfoundland.