John Pollard was Archdeacon of Wiltshire, Archdeacon of Cornwall, Archdeacon of Barnstaple and Archdeacon of Totnes.
He was one of eleven sons of Sir Lewis Pollard (c.1465-1526) of King's Nympton, Devon, MP for Totnes and Justice of the Common Pleas, by his wife Agnes Hext. He was educated at Oxford University and graduated B.A.in 1522/3 and M.A. in 1526. He was vicar of Minety and archdeacon of Wiltshire in 1539, until deprived under Queen Mary in 1544. He was prebendary of Brecon 1542-51, archdeacon of Cornwall from 1543 to 1545, rector of Portishead, Somerset (1543-1550) and archdeacon of Barnstaple in 1544, (until deprived under Mary I in 1554). He was rector of Ermington mediety 1545-1554, of Widdicombe (or Withycombe) 1549-1560 and of Newton Ferrers in 1553-1556, rector of Wheatfield, Oxforrdshire, 1553-1577, canon of Sarum 1556-1559 and archdeacon of Totnes in 1558.