Israel Hands
Israel Hands (c. 1701 – c. 1724)[1] was a pirate who operated in the West Indies during the early 18th century. He served as Edward Thatch's first mate aboard the Sea Dog's Bite from 1714[2] to 1717, and aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge from 1717 to November 1718.
Biography[edit | edit source]
At some point prior to September 1714, Israel Hands was part of a crew when news came of the end of the War of the Spanish Succession. The ship's captain did not want to go against the law in any way and informed his men of that, much to their dismay at being left jobless while the captain returned to England in comfort. A mutiny soon followed, and the captain was marooned on an island near Jamaica with a boat, a few provisions, and completely naked save for his hat.[2]
On 22 September 1714, Hands told the mutiny story at the Old Avery tavern in Nassau while Edward Thatch was in attendance, causing him to laugh until he cried. Thatch asked his scribe Charles Johnson to draw the scene and gifted Hands the resulting picture. Hands recognized Thatch and asked to join his crew, noting that his current captain was possibly worse than the one they had left stranded and this time would not end with a good story to tell. Thatch allowed Hands to join the crew of the Sea Dog's Bite, under the condition that he keep telling them stories for them to laugh, to which Hands said that he would do his best.[2]
In April 1718, after capturing a Royal Navy Man O' War, Hands presented Thatch and Edward Kenway with a case of medicine bound for Charleston.[3]
On 21 November 1718, as a fight broke out among the crew, Thatch took a pistol and, while pretending to not aim for anything specific, shot Hands in the knee. As Hands fell on the sand and questioned the reason for it, Thatch feigned no interest in the scene, but later confided to his scribe that he considered Hands the most loyal man in his crew.[4] Thatch expelled both Johnson and Hands from the Queen Anne's Revenge before the next day, hoping that doing so would keep them from dying alongside him, which it did, though the pair did not understand their captain's actions at the time.[5]
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag: Blackbeard – The Lost Journal (mentioned only)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑
Israel Hands on Wikipedia
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag: Blackbeard – The Lost Journal – 22 September, 1714
- ↑ Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – Devil's Advocate
- ↑ Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag: Blackbeard – The Lost Journal – 21 November, 1718
- ↑ Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag: Blackbeard – The Lost Journal – A Final Entry