John Soule

John Soule (1823-1897) was a Rataiian merchant and politician. He was the son of Reverend Adam Soule.

He was born in 1823 in the missionary settlement of the island of Maroa. When he was twelve, his mother died, so he and his siblings were sent to the USA to live with some relatives and receive a good education. As the son of a minister, John intended to follow his father's footsteps. He studied Theology in Yale and returned to Rataii in 1846. However, his religious career was short, as he fell in love with Tehani Tuiratae, a niece of King Tamaroa Tuiratae IV. Despite her high standing in Rataiian society (as a member of the royal family), John's father did not approve the match, considering that missionaries should not marry locals. John broke relations with his father and married Tehani anyway. Shortly after he joined Thomas Allerton, a local merchant, and became his partner. They founded Allerton & Soule, one of the great Rataiian companies.

Between the travels that his businesses demanded and his family, John also found time to study. He served as advisor to several Rataiian kings, and also became a member of the House of Lords, the local parliament. However, despite his close ties to the Crown, he found the monarchy ineffective and the Tuiratae sovereigns more symbolic figures than real rulers. He hoped that some day the archipelago would peacefully join the United States, but did not live to see it.

He and Tehani had several children, among them Charles Soule.

He died in 1897.