He came to Albury (worth £100 per annum) having been incumbent in Shalford for five years previously. He is well known for his book Clavis Mathematicae. It was said that he was a pitiful preacher; the reason was because he never studied it, but bent all his thoughts on the mathematics; but when he was in danger of being sequestered for a royalist, he fell to the study of divinity and preached admirably well, even in his old age. He died June 13th 1660

He served here until March 11th 1822 when he died at the age of 85. Miss Bray, a resident of Albury, has entered in her “Recollections of Shere”, written in 1857:- “Mr. Polhill, Rector of Albury, was a good specimen of the old-fashioned race of clergy now extinct. He and his wife were perfect pictures in their neat and pretty personage, and when on Sundays, he descended from his respectable chariot in his full-bottomed powdered wig, dingle hat and flowing silk gown, and walked up the Churchyard with his lady by his side dressed in white with black silk cloak, he made a most imposing figure to my mind. Yet his teaching was not such as I should value now, and he did not scruple in his younger days to join the Hunt on his sleek steed, which was used for farm work and riding in the week, and with its companion drew the couple to church on Sundays. They were thoroughly respected.”

He was a prominent Evangelical and attended the first of Drummond’s conferences, however, he became critical of the movement with its over prophesies and speaking in tongues and thereafter took no further part. He went on to be Dean of Ripon.