William Cantelo | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1830 |
| Disappeared | 1880s |
| Status | Possibly reemerged under new identity as Hiram Maxim; long deceased |
| Nationality | British; possibly American |
| Relatives | 3 children |
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.