There seems to be a lot of misinformation concerning John Morrall of Murrell's Inlet. He did own the land now known as Murrell's Inlet, but he actually spelled his name Morrall. John Morrel, Elizabeth Girardeau, and I searched out many records concerning the early Murrells and Morralls of Christ Church Parish. You can find these records at
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~fcharper/MaryMurrel... and
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~fcharper/JohnMurrel...The basics:
Robert Murrell did have a son named John, but he was not John Morrall of Murrell's Inlet.
There was no close association between Robert Murrell's family and John Morrall of Murrell's Inlet although John Morrall did originally live in Christ Church Parish near Robert Murrell's family. If there was any kinship, it was probably very distant.
An early William Murrell who left records in Barbados and SC did have a son named John Murrell, but the son was not John Morrall of Murrell's Inlet.
John Morrall of Murrell's Inlet can be proven to be the son of John Murrell d ca 1706 and wife Elizabeth who lived on the Wando River in Berkeley Co. John had a brother named William Murrell and was closely associated with the Robert Lewis family.
We have found no records that prove that John Morrall was a pirate. We found one record that referred to him as Capt John Morrall, but the title Capt did not always mean the person was a ship's captain. There were militia captains, etc.
There is a record that indicates a Capt Murel was involved in slave trade between Guinea and SC, but there is not enough in the record to be sure this was John Morrall or even that this Capt Murel was from SC.
The Pennsylvania Gazette, October 16, 1729:
We have an Account from Guinea, that the Clare Galley, Capt. Murel, having compleated her number of Negroes, had taken her Departure from the Coast of Guinea for South Carolina; but had not got ten Leagues on her Way, before the Negroes rose, and making themselves Masters of the Gunpowder and Fire Arms, the Captain and the Ship's Crew took to their Long-Boat, and got ashore near Cape Coast Castle. The Negroes ran the Ship on Shore within a few Leagues of the said Castle, and made their Escape.