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==Life==
He was the son of Thomas Brett of [[Spring Grove, Wye, Kent|Spring Grove]], [[Wye, Kent]]. His father descended from a family settled at Wye; his mother was Letitia, daughter of John Boys of [[Betshanger]], [[Sandwich]], where Brett was born. He was educated at Wye [[grammar school]], under John Paris and [[Samuel Pratt]] (later dean of Rochester). On 20 March 1684 he was admitted pensioner of [[Queens' College, Cambridge]]. He was removed by his father for extravagance, but permitted to return. He then moved to [[Corpus Christi College, Cambridge|Corpus Christi College]] on 17 January 1689. He took the LL.B. degree in 1690.<ref>{{
He was ordained [[deacon]] on 21 December 1690. After holding a curacy at [[Folkestone]] for a year he was ordained priest, and chosen lecturer at [[Islington]]. The vicar, Mr. Gery, encouraged him to exchange his early [[Whiggism]] for [[Tory]] and [[High Church]] principles. On the death of his father, his mother persuaded him to return (May 1696) to Spring Grove, where he undertook the cure of [[Great Chart]]. Here he married Bridget, daughter of Sir Nicholas Toke. In 1697 he became LL.D., and soon afterwards exchanged Great Chart for Wye. He became rector of Betshanger on the death of his uncle, Thomas Boys; and on 12 April 1705 Archbishop [[Thomas Tenison]] made him rector of [[Ruckinge]], having previously allowed him to hold the small vicarage of [[Chislet]] 'in sequestration.'
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