Philip Chenevix had been the Protestant pastor of Limay, had settled in England after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes as his brother had been murdered because of his religion.

He determined that she had a promise of genius and rejected traditional female education as inappropriate for her, instead he encouraged her to read as much as possible, and she explored his library.

Chenevix was educated at Bishop's Stortford School and Peterhouse, Cambridge, being admitted in 1713, graduating BA in 1717, MA in 1732, DD in 1744.

When in 1745 the Earl of Chesterfield was appointed to be Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Chenevix accompanied him as domestic chaplain.

It was through the influence of the Earl of Chesterfield that Chenevix was appointed as Bishop of Killaloe on 20 May 1745 before being translated to the more lucrative bishopric of Waterford and Lismore on 15 January 1746.