Hands was second-in-command under Edward Teach "Blackbeard." Hands was given command of David Herriot's ship the Adventure after Herriot was captured by Blackbeard in March, 1718.
Hands was with Blackbeard in the attack on Charleston, South Carolina. Afterwards, Hands settled with Blackbeard in Ocracoke, North Carolina. When Blackbeard was killed by Robert Maynard, Hands was captured and taken to Virginia for trial. In exchange for immunity, Hands testified against corrupt North Carolina officials who had consorted with Blackbeard.
According to Daniel Defoes "General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates," Hands is said to have died a beggar in London & also wrote that Hands was shot in the knee by Edward Teach aka Blackbeard after Teach fired at another member of his crew, striking Hands accidently. Hands supposedly asked Blackbeard his meaning in this act, His response was, "That if he did not now and then kill one of them, they would forget who he was."
I suspect it could easily have been lifted from history by RLS. The name is almost irresistible and sounds piratical all by itself.