Israel Hands facts for kids

Israel Hands, also known as Basilica Hands, was a famous pirate from the 1700s. He is best known for being the second-in-command to the legendary pirate Blackbeard, whose real name was Edward Teach.

You might have heard of a character named Israel Hands in the famous book Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. The author used the real pirate's name for his villainous sidekick. However, the character in the book is very different from the real Israel Hands.

A Pirate's Life: Israel Hands' Story

Joining Blackbeard's Crew

Israel Hands first appeared in historical records in 1718. This was when Blackbeard captured a ship called the Adventure. Its captain, David Herriot, was forced to join Blackbeard's crew. Blackbeard then made Israel Hands the new captain of the Adventure.

This happened in the spring of 1718. Blackbeard was causing trouble for ships sailing near Mexico and the Bay of Honduras. He captured the Adventure at Turneffe Atoll and made Hands its captain. After this, they began sailing towards North Carolina.

Ship Troubles and a Strange Injury

Later in June 1718, Blackbeard's main ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, got stuck in shallow water near Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina. Blackbeard asked Hands and the Adventure to help pull his ship free. But the Adventure also got stuck and had to be left behind.

Blackbeard, Hands, and another pirate named Stede Bonnet took about half of the pirates. They left the rest behind and sailed to Ocracoke.

There's a story from Captain Charles Johnson that says Blackbeard once shot Israel Hands in the knee. Blackbeard was aiming at another crew member but missed and hit Hands instead. When Hands asked why, Blackbeard supposedly said he needed to shoot someone now and then. This was to remind his crew who was in charge. Another idea is that Blackbeard shot Hands so he wouldn't have to fight in an upcoming battle.

Capture and Later Life

On November 22, 1718, Blackbeard was killed by troops from Virginia. These troops were led by Lieutenant Robert Maynard. At this time, Israel Hands was in Bath, North Carolina. He was recovering from his knee injury, which had left him unable to walk properly.

Even though he was injured, Hands couldn't escape when pirates in Bath were rounded up after Blackbeard's death. He and fifteen other pirates were taken to Williamsburg, Virginia, to face trial. To avoid being punished, Hands agreed to tell the authorities what he knew. He gave evidence against some officials in North Carolina who had secretly helped Blackbeard.

What happened to Israel Hands after this is not fully known. However, in a famous book called A General History of the Pyrates by Captain Charles Johnson, it is said that Israel Hands eventually died as a beggar in London.

Modern Portrayals

Israel Hands has appeared in many movies and TV shows. Most of these are based on the book Treasure Island.

Films and TV Series Based on Treasure Island

• Joseph Singleton played him in the 1920 silent movie.
• Douglass Dumbrille was Israel Hands in the 1934 movie.
• Geoffrey Keen played him in the 1950 movie. Rod Taylor played him in the 1954 sequel, Long John Silver.
• Aldo Sambrell was Israel Hands in the 1972 live-action movie.
• Patrick Troughton played him in the 1977 TV series.
• Gennadi Yukhtin was Israel Hands in the 1982 movie.
• Jean-François Stévenin played him in the 1985 movie.
• Michael Halsey was Israel Hands in the 1990 movie.
• Dermot Keaney played him in the 1999 movie.
• In Disney's 2002 animated movie Treasure Planet, Hands is a giant pirate with four arms. He was voiced by Mike McShane.
• Geoff Bell played him in the 2012 TV series.
• Irish actor David Wilmot plays Hands in the TV series Black Sails. This show tells stories that happened before Treasure Island.

Historical Figure

• Mark Noble played Israel Hands in the 2006 documentary Blackbeard: Terror at Sea. In this film, Hands is the narrator.
• Anthony Green played him in the 2006 TV movie Blackbeard. In this version, Hands dies during the battle against Lieutenant Robert Maynard.

Other Appearances

• Hands briefly appears in the 2013 video game Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. He shows Blackbeard a box of medicine. This leads Blackbeard to take hostages in Charleston.

Images for kids

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  Hands' and O'Brian's drunken fight on the Hispanola

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