Israel Hands

Israel Hands was an 18th century pirate, also known as Basilica Hands. Hands is best known for being second in command to Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard. Hands was unnoticed by history until 1718, when Blackbeard gave him command of David Herriot's ship Adventure after Herriot was captured by Teach in March 1718.

One More Step, Mr. Hands by N. C. Wyeth, 1911, for Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Captain Charles Johnson wrote that Hands was shot in the knee by Edward Teach after Teach fired at another of his crew, missing him but striking Hands. Hands supposedly inquired of Teach his meaning in this act, whereupon Teach remarked "that if he did not now and then kill one of them, they would forget who he was." Another theory is that Teach shot him so he would not die in the battle against Robert Maynard. When Teach was killed by Maynard, Hands was captured and taken to Virginia for trial. In exchange for a pardon, Hands testified against corrupt North Carolina officials with whom Teach had consorted. What happened to Hands after this is not known for certain, however in Captain Charles Johnson's A General History of the Pyrates, Hands is said to have died a beggar in London.

References in popular culture

In the book Treasure Island one of Long John Silver's pirates is named Israel Hands. Israel Hands is a song on the Sullivan album Cover Your Eyes. Hands appears alongside Blackbeard as an antagonist in the third issue of DC Comics' Return of Bruce Wayne miniseries. Hands appears also in Björn Larsson's novel Long John Silver, living his retirement as a bartender in London, where he meets Long John Silver when interviewing with Daniel Defoe.