John Soule
John Soule (1823-1904) 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. They were very successful and the business quickly expanded to interests such as cattle, real estate and fruits. He became Chairman after Allerton's retirement in 1860, and remained as such until 1894, when he himself retired.
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. In 1899, his nephew Brewster Howland and other notable Rataiians overthrew the monarchy. John, although initially opposed to his action, which he considered dishonorable, later accepted the offer to lead a provisional government, believing that despite its unlawful origins a Rataiian republic could do much good to the country and its people. He remained in office until elections were held in 1901.
He and Tehani had several children, among them Charles Soule and Marama Allerton.
He died in 1904.
