Thomas Maule is the model for old Matthew Maule of The House of the Seven
Gables. It is of some interest to investigate the historical activities of
Thomas Maule, a character with whom Hawthorne seems to have had some familiarity.
Much more can be learned about him by visiting the following website:
http://www.maulefamily.com/mauleb9.htm
His Quaker Activities
Maule quickly became a leader of the Salem Quakers. He was the chief financial
pillar of both Lynn Monthly Meeting and Salem Monthly Meeting. The earliest
record of his official responsibilities dates from July 14, 1677, when he was
selected to keep the record book for Salem Monthly Meeting. In July, 1680, Maule
was chosen to obtain a place for use as a burying ground and was given the responsibility
of having it fenced. In August 1681, the meeting voted to hold first-day and
fifth-day meetings at Maule's house every other week. In Feb. 1688/89, Maule
proposed that a meeting be held in Lynn once a month as a convenience to the
Quakers of that town. Later in 1689 he proposed that free lodging and free pasturage
be provided to traveling Quaker preachers. At various times Maule served as
a delegate to Quarterly Meeting.
By 1688, Maule started construction, at his own expense, of a meeting house
for use by the Monthly Meeting. The meeting house was built on property owned
by Maule, on the south side of Essex Street opposite Monroe Street. In 1691
Maule conveyed the meeting house to the Meeting. When Salem Monthly Meeting
acquired a larger meeting house in 1714, it sold this property back to Maule.
In 1864 the building was moved to the grounds of the Essex Institute, where
it remains to this day. (courtesy of http://vls.law.vill.edu/prof/maule/famhist/mauleb9.htm
)
