William Cantelo

William Cantelo (born 1830) was a 19th-century British inventor. Credited with developing an early machine gun, he disappeared from his home in Southampton in the 1880s. While trying to find Cantelo, his two sons saw a photograph of American-born inventor Hiram Maxim (born 1840), creator of the Maxim gun; his superficial similarity to their father led them to believe that he had re-emerged under a new name.

Background

Cantelo was born in 1830 at Newport on the Isle of Wight to parents Elizabeth and William Cantelo. His father was a publican and brush maker. His brother, John, and one of his sisters, Ellen, were artists.