Nicholas Brady , Anglican divine and poet, was born in Bandon, County Cork, Ireland. He was the second son of Irishman Major Nicholas Brady (Ó Brádaigh or Mac Brádaigh) and his wife Martha Gernon, daughter of the English-born judge and author Luke Gernon (little is known of her mother); his great-grandfather was Hugh Brady, the first Protestant Bishop of Meath. He received his education at Westminster School and at Christ Church, Oxford; he had degrees from Trinity College, Dublin (BA 1685, MA 1686, BD & DD 1699)
