James Crabb VERCO

VERCO, JAMES CRABB (b. Callington, Cornwall, England, 19 Sept 1814; d. Adelaide, SA, 2 Feb 1891). Early Churches of Christ member in SA, builder, parliamentarian.

As a young man, James Verco, a stone mason, travelled to the USA, hopeful of discovering wealth in Texas. He returned to England, where he married. With his bride he set sail for Adelaide in 1840. On board ship the Vercos struck up a friendship with another couple, Philip Santo (q.v.) and his wife. Santo was a carpenter. On arriving in Adelaide, the two men, entered into partnership as builders. Under the influence of Santo, Verco, a Wesleyan, was convinced that he should be immersed. He was baptised in the Torrens River and joined the Scotch Baptist Church in Adelaide, that first met in a room behind the Royal Theatre in Hindley Street and then in a mud cottage in Morphett St.

Verco, Santo and a number of others were unhappy with the strongly Calvinistic teaching of Captain Scott, who was responsible for the church at this time. Influenced by the teachings of Alexander Campbell, the American Disciple pioneer, they argued that the Spirit worked through the Scriptures to convert people and that those who received the gospel through faith, repentance and immersion were pardoned, became children of God, and received the Spirit. This group met for a time with Thomas Playford (q.v.), who had advertised his intention of establishing a church on 'New Testament principles'. Because he was prepared to receive the unimmersed into membership, they returned to the Scotch Baptist congregation.

Shortly after moving into a stone chapel, built by Santo and Verco, in Franklin St, the congregation split. Captain Scott, and his followers, moved out, leaving the building in the possession of a small group who became the nucleus of the first Church of Christ in Adelaide. The Franklin St congregation moved to Grote St, where Verco held office as an elder. Later, with his family and others, he established a church in Kermode St, North Adelaide.

From 1862 to 1865 Verco held a seat in the SA House of Assembly. He espoused protectionist ideas, advocating heavy import duties on goods capable of being manufactured in the colony and arguing that raw materials that could not be procured locally should be allowed to be imported duty-free. Verco was also a founder of the Commercial Bank of South Australia and served as a member of the Adelaide City Council.

A Caldicott, The Verco Story: The Hopes We Live By (Adelaide, 1970); H R Taylor, The History of Churches of Christ in South Australia, 1846-1959 (South Australia, 1959); 'The Early History of Churches of Christ in South Australia', Australian Christian 1898

GRAEME CHAPMAN