Sir Walter John George Verco (18 January 1907 – 10 March 2001) was a long-serving

officer of arms An officer of arms is a person appointed by a sovereign or state with authority to perform one or more of the following functions: * to control and initiate armorial matters; * to arrange and participate in ceremonies of state; * to conserve a ...

who served in many capacities at the

College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the British Sovere ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

Biography

Walter John George Verco was born in

on 18 January 1907. He was educated at Tollington Park Central School. In 1954 he was appointed Rouge Croix Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary. He was on the Earl Marshal's staff for the funeral of King George VI in 1952, the Queen's

coronation A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the presentation of ot ...

in 1953, the funeral of

Sir Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from 1 ...

in 1965 and the

Investiture Investiture (from the Latin preposition ''in'' and verb ''vestire'', "dress" from ''vestis'' "robe") is a formal installation or ceremony that a person undergoes, often related to membership in Christian religious institutes as well as Christian k ...

of the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

in 1969. He was also appointed Earl Marshal's Secretary in 1961. In 1960, Verco was promoted to Chester Herald of Arms in Ordinary. He was promoted to Norroy and Ulster King of Arms in 1971. He was appointed Surrey Herald Extraordinary in 1980, a post he held until May 1996. Verco was also Honorary Genealogist to the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, or ...

Honours and appointments

Verco was appointed a member of the

in 1952. He was advanced to the degree of Commander of the same Order in 1970, and was made a Knight Commander in 1981.

Coats of Arms designed by Walter Verco

*Mr Anthony Cronk, FSA,

FRSA The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), also known as the Royal Society of Arts, is a London-based organisation committed to finding practical solutions to social challenges. The RSA acronym is used m ...

''Heraldry Gazette'' NS 62 (December 1996), 6.

Arms

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Verco, Walter English officers of arms 1907 births 2001 deaths Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order

Biography

Honours and appointments

Coats of Arms designed by Walter Verco

Arms

See also

References