All Saints’ Church Renhold Bedfordshire, England
There are four memorial Tablets to the Polhill Family on the South wall of the Chancel – see also Polhill Family History.
To the left of the Priest’s Door this memorial reads
IN MEMORY OF
ROBERT GRAHAM POLHILL
LIEUTENANT IN HER MAJETY’S 95th REGIMENT
WHO FELL
IN FRONT OF HIS REGIMENT DEFENDING THE COLOURS
AT THE BATTLE OF THE ALMA
SEPTEMBER 20th 1854, AGED 26
IN THIS MEMORABLE ACTION
THE 95th WAS MOST CONSPICUOUS
AND ITS LOSS ENORMOUS
LIEUTENANT POLHILL WAS THE SECOND SON
OF EDWARD POLHILL ESQ OF BRIGHTON
AND OF ANNE MARGARET, YOUNGEST DAUGHTER
OF THE LATE THOMAS GRAHAM ESQ
OF EDMOND CASTLE, CUMBERLAND
AND GREAT GRANDSON OF
NATHANIEL POLHILL OF HOWBURY ESQ, M.P.
“THEY ALSO WHICH SLEEP IN JESUS WILL GOD
BRING WITH US” 1 THESS. IV_ 14
ALSO IN MEMORY OF EDWARD POLHILL ESQ THE FATHER OF THE ABOVE
WHO WAS TAKEN SUDDENLY FROM HIS SORROWING FAMILY, OCTOBER 2nd 1859, AGED 70
ALSO OF CHARLES DAVENPORT POLHILL ESQ HIS YOUNGEST SON
WHO DIED FOUR MONTHS AFTER HIS FATHER, FEBRUARY 7th 1860, AGED 20
To the right of the Priest's door is a large memorial to John, Thomas and Mary Polhill
NEAR THIS PLACE ARE DEPOSITED THE REMAINS OF
JOHN POLHILL ESQ, OF HOWBURY HALL
(LAY RECTOR OF THE PARISH OF RENHOLD
AND LORD OF THE MANOR)
WHO DIED SEPTEMBER 3rd 1828
AGED 71 YEARS
ALSO OF
THOMAS POLHILL ESQ, ELDER SON OF THE ABOVE
WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE OCTOBER 16th 1828
AGED 33 YEARS
SURVIVING HIS FATHER ONLY SIX WEEKS
When young and old are snatch’d away
By death’s resistless hand
Our hearts the mournful tribute pay
Which sorrow must demand
Affection prompts the rising sigh:
And may this truth imprest
With awful power, “I too must die”
Sink deep in every breast
MARY
THE WIDOW OF THE ABOVE NAMED
JOHN POLHILL ESQ
DEPARTED THIS LIFE 17th MARCH 1833
AGED 74 YEARS
Beneath the above memorial are two recent tablets
The upper one reads:
1893 – 1957
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
MILES HAY MARTINDALE
DEARLY LOVED HUSBAND OF ELEANOR
FROM 1919 TO 1942 DISTRICT OFFICER & HIGH COURT JUDGE NIGERIA
FROM 1942 TO 1947 PUISNE JUDGE GHANA
RENDERED OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO CAUSE OF JUSTICE
IN WEST AFRICA
LOVED BY ALL WHO KNEW HIM
EUROPEANS AND AFRICANS ALIKE
The lower tablet reads:
1899 – 1976
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
ELEANOR MARY
BELOVED WIFE OF THE ABOVE
MILES HAY MARTINDALE
AND DAUGHTER OF CECIL HENRY POLHIL
OF
HOWBURY HALL
Above the Vestry door on the North Wall of the Chancel is a Memorial to Frances and William, children of Frederick Polhill
IN
MEMORY OF
FRANCES SARAH, AETAT 7 YEARS & 9 MONTHS
OB, 19th AUGUST 1832
AND
WILLIAM HENRY, AETAT 5 YEARS
OB, 23rd AUGUST 1832
TWO OF THE CHILDREN OF FREDERICK POLHILL ESQ
AND FRANCES MARGARETTA HIS WIFE
“LOVELY AND PLEASANT IN THEIR LIVES
AND IN THEIR DEATH THEY WERE NOT DIVIDED”
FAIR BUDS OF HOPE, ALAS MY EARLY DOOM
THEIR HEAVENLY FATHER CALLED THEM TO THE TOMB
THE STRICKEN HEART MAY GRIEVE, BUT NOT REPINE
THOU, GOD IN LOVE HAST CALLED THEM TO BE THINE
Between the two Becher Memorials on the North Wall of the Chancel and to the left of the Vestry door, is another Memorial to two more of Frederick Polhill’s children
IN
MEMORY OF
ADELAIDE EMILY SOPHIA
DIED DECEMBER 23rd 1838, AGED 7 YEARS 3 MONTHS
ALSO
EDWARD BROOKE
DIED FEBRUARY 1st 1844, AGED 9 YEARS 8 MONTHS
THE BELOVED CHILDERN OF FREDERICK POLHILL ESQ, M.P.
AND FRANCES MARGARETTA HIS WIFE
“THE LORD GIVETH THE LORD TAKETH AWAY
BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD”
OH: CALL NOT THESE CUT OFF IN HAPLESS TIME
WHOM GOD HAS WELCOMED TO HIS HEAVENLY REST
WHO CULLS THE SWEETEST BUDS BEFORE THEIR PRIME ?
THE MASTER TAKES TO WEAR THEM ON HIS BREAST
Beneath the above Memorial is a brass Memorial Tablet in memory of Capt. Frederick Polhill
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
CAPT. FREDERICK CHARLES POLHILL – TURNER M.P., J.P.
LATE OF THE 6th DRAGOON GUARDS, OF HOWBURY HALL
SON OF FREDk POLHILL, M.P., AND FANNY MARGARET, HIS WIFE
LAY RECTOR OF THIS PARISH AND LORD OF THE MANOR
BORN 1826, DIED 1881, RESPECTED AND ESTEEMED BY
A WIDE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS, HONORED AND LOVED BY
HIS FAMILY, BY WHOM THIS TABLET WAS ERECTED
ALSO OF EMILY FRANCES WIDOW OF THE ABOVE
WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE 2nd APRIL 1913, AGED 86
“Until he come”
A number of members of the Polhill Family were buried in the Mausoleum on the north side of the Church but removed in 1960 and buried in the Churchyard
Polhill Memorials