Israel Hands

Who is 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.

Captain Charles Johnson wrote that Hands was shot in the knee by Teach after Teach fired at another of his crew, missing him but striking Hands. Hands supposedly asked Teach for his reasons, 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.