Lady Mary Montagu

She was a remarkablw woman, as the wife of the English ambassador to Contstantinople in 1718 she learned how the turks protected their children against smallpox by the process of variolation. Not only did shee have her children successfully variolated in the face of opposition from her compatriotd. but thorugh her friendship with the wife of King George II, encourage the british aristocracy to try it as well. This support from the highest levels of English society ensured that the process was adapted with enthusiasm in Britain

(Tizard Immunology 4th ed page 1)