Candy Perry, born in Washington, D.C., now a Florida resident, reached out to the Hull Historical Society with an information request. Did anybody in town know the name of Henry Oliver Peabody, a man who lived in Hull, ever so briefly, at the beginning of the 19th century?

The quick answer was that yes, he had appeared in The Hull Beacon on three occasions:

“June 5, 1903: Henry O. Peabody, the inventor of famous breech loading rifle, with his sister, will summer with his niece Miss H. M. Sawyer at Allerton, Winthrop Avenue.

“July 3, 1903: Henry O. Peabody died suddenly Monday morning at his summer home at Allerton of apoplexy. He was aged about 77 years. Mr. Peabody was the inventor of a rifle. At the opening of the Civil War, Mr. Peabody was at work in a gun factory in Springfield. He gave up his position at that time and devoted himself to perfecting an improvement in the gun then best known. A company was formed and the new rifle was sold to the Turkish government. As a result of his success Mr. Peabody made about $1,000,000. He was unmarried, and his Boston home for many years was at 35 Pinckney St.

“Oct. 23, 1903: Mr. Peabody, the inventor of the Peabody gun, that is having his will contested, has lived on Allerton Hill some years. Both Mrs. Hennian and Mr. Sawyer have each in turn kept his house and yet he did not seem to care for either, according to his will.”

Beyond that information, there was not much more to know about Peabody’s life in Hull. Although…