Abstracts of Records of Secretary of the Province South Carolina 1692-1721    Caroline T Moore, p. 15
We, Nicholas Stephans of Charleston, turner, & John Murrall, planter, bound for lb 2000 ... 1704 ... Stephens admins estate of Thomas Holton.

SCHGM 12:213 "Records of Court of Ordinary..."
March 23, 1704: Nicholas Stephens, of Charles Town, turner, and John Murrall, planter, executed a bond to Gov. Johnson for Stephen's proper administration of the estate of Thomas Holton. (page 97)

Box 001C; date 1705-1707;
Daniell, Robert vs John Murrell
John Murrall, planter -- Robert Daniell lent him money in 1704; John was to pay 11 lb 5 sh by 12 March 1705/6. This was filed June 7, 1706

Petrona Royall McIver, "Wappetaw Congregational Church," SCHGM, vol. LVIII (1957)
1706 - Robert Lewis is administrator of the estate of John Murrell of "Wandoe" and guardian of his children by wife Elizabeth.

Abstracts of Records of Secretary of the Province South Carolina 1692-1721    Caroline T Moore (p30)
This day Robert Lewis entered his caveat to Letters of Admin. of estate of John Murrill, late of Wando River, deceased, on behalf of children of said Murrill by his wife Elizabeth until he is heard.  D 3 Feb 1706   p 184

Abstracts of Records of Secretary of the Province South Carolina 1692-1721    Caroline T Moore (p20)
We, Robert Lewis, William Murrill and John Murrill are bound unto Rt. Hon. Sir Nathaniel Johnson, Knt., Gov., in sum of L2,000 stg.  D 23 May 1707.  CONDITION OF OBLIGATION:  Robert Lewis in right of William Murrill and John Murrill, admins of estate of John Murrill, late of this Province, deceased, made inventory of said estate by 3 freeholders to Office of Sec. within 90 days after date hereof according to ........  Wit: Jno. Barnwell.   p 123

Hotten p.456  List of Landowners in St. Michael's (Barbados)  [1678, I think]
Wm Murrell,  11 acres,   8 Negroes
Jno Murrell                     2 Negroes

Burials at the Parish of St. Michaels, Barbados Island, 1678 and 1679
Source: "Hotten's Lists", pages 425-437
Murril, John [son of John & Elisabeth Murril]   November 4, 1678

[It is not known if the parents here are the same as John Murrill d by 1706 with wife Elizabeth with an earlier son born to them also named John. If so, then Elizabeth was still bearing children about 20 years after her first son John died. Not impossible. Or perhaps this John Murril and Elisabeth were the parents of another son who became the father of John Murrill d by 1706. It's also possible that there is no kinship between this John Murril and Elizabeth and John Murrell d by 1706 at all.  Since the early William Murrell and son John Murrell were recorded as landowners in Barbados at this time, the father of this deceased child was almost certainly the son of this early William. John Morrall of Berkeley and Craven Counties, the proven son of John Murrill d by 1706 and Elizabeth, must have been of age when he sold land on 23 & 24 March, 1719. He married Martha, the widow of John Bollough shortly after 1718 and their first child was born in 1722. So John Morrall was probably born no later than 1699. He could be the grandson or great grandson of John Murril and Elisabeth of Barbados - or no kin at all.]

MEMORIAL of John Beresford; Vol. 3, pp 149 - 152, SC Archives, dated 20 August 1737
p 149  A Memorial of Diverse grants and their conveyances of the several plantations, lands, & tenements herein aftermentioned in the [Sezun?] & possession of John Beresford Esqr. only son & heir & Divisee of Richard Beresford late of this province Esqr decd ....
[a grant to Edgar Wells of 300 acres dated 28 Oct 1709 conveyed by Edgar Wells and Lydia his wife to Richard Beresford on 13 Feb 1721]
[a grant to Richard Beresford of 500 acres dated 28 July 1711]
p 149-150  One other grant from the late Lords proprietors under the hand of the aforesaid Robert Gibbes, Governor….. bearing date the 28th day of June in the year of our Lord 1711 to the aforesd Richard Beresford of a plantation containing Five hundred & Eighty acres of land situate in Berkeley county in the parish of Christ Church lying & being on the head of a branch of the Western Branch of Wando River, Butting & bounding to the South westward part on the said branch & part on the lands of Robert Lewis to the Southward part on lands of the said Lewis & part on lands of Captain Benjn Quelch & the Eastward part on lands of the said Quelch part on lands of Captain Thomas Lynch & to the North on lands of aforesd Beresford....
p 150  One other grant..... bearing date the Twenty Seventh day of June in the year of our Lord One Thousand Seven hundred & Eleven to Robert Lewis of a plantation containing four hundred & thirty acres of land situate in Berkley County in the parish of Christ Church & lying & being in the Easternmost side of the heads of some of the branches of the Western branch of Wando River Butting & Bounding to the Westward on the said River or creek to the Northwestward on the lands of the said Lewis to the North on the Lands of Richard Beresford to the Eastward on the lands of Captain Benjn Quelch to the Southward part on lands of Wm Ruberry, part on the lands of the said Robert Lewis, & part on Lands of Elias Foisson....
p 150  One other grant..... bearing date the Twenty Seventh day of June in the year of our Lord one Thousand Seven hundred & Eleven to the aforesaid Robert Lewis of a plantation of two hundred acres of land situate in Berkeley County in the parish of Christ Church lying & being between the Heads of two Branches of the Western Branch of Wandow River Butting & Bounding to the Northward & Southward on the said branches & to the Eastward & Westward on lands of the said Lewis ....which said two plantations last above mentioned containing four hundred & thirty acres & one hundred acres of Land granted as aforesaid to the said Robert Lewis was Devised by the said Robert Lewis to his Sons Charles, William, & Henry Lewis and by them conveyed to the aforesaid Richd Beresford his heirs & assigns forever by several Deeds of Lease & Release bearing dates respectively the twenty third & twenty fourth days of March in the year of our Lord one thousand and seven hundred & Nineteen.
p 150-151  One other grant.... bearing date the twenty Seventh day of June in the year of our Lord One Thousand Seven hundred & Eleven to Robert Lewis of a plantation containing two hundred & eighty acres of land situate in Berkley County in the Parish of Christ Church lying and being on the Easter?? side of the Head of Wando River Butting & Bounding to the Westward, Southward & Northward on Creeks & Marshes of said River & to the Eastward on lands of the aforesaid Robert Lewis ..... which said plantation last mentioned was Devised by the said Robert Lewis to William Murrel & John Murrel & their heirs and Assigns forever ??? conveyed by the said William Murrel & John Murrel to the said Richard Beresford his heirs & assigns ??? Deeds of lease & Release bering dates Respectively the 23d & 24th days of March in the year of our Lord one Thousand Seven hundred & Nineteen.
p 151  [a grant to Richard Beresford of 950 acres dated 11 June 1714, a grant to Richard Beresford of 460 acres dated 23 July 1711]
p 152  [a grant to Richard Beresford of 360 acres dated 23 July 1711, a grant to Richard Beresford of 400 acres dated 23 July 1711, a grant to Richard Beresford of 200 acres dated 23 July 1711]

From this Beresford memorial, we know that Robert Lewis died between June, 1711 and March, 1719. Since his will devised land to William Murrel and John Murrel, treating them the same as his sons, certainly they were the same William Murrell and John Murrell who were the minor sons of John Murrell d by 1706 and wife Elizabeth. John Murrell d by 1706 lived on the Wando River. The land left to William Murrell and John Murrell by Robert Lewis was also on the Wando River, but it was land granted to Robert Lewis, not to their father. If there were any Murrell daughters, they were not revealed by this record. The will of Robert Lewis has been lost The deeds mentioned in the memorial have been lost. It would be easy to speculate that Elizabeth, widow of John Murrell, later became the wife of Robert Lewis, but no records have been found to prove this. Robert Lewis's wife in 1675 was Mary Biggerstaffe. There is no record of her death.

The only unplaced John Murrell in later records who might be the above John Murrell named in the Beresford memorial was John Morrall who married Martha, the widow of John Bollough d ca 1718, and moved from Christ Church Parish in Berkeley Co to Prince George Parish in Craven Co where he left his will dated 26 Nov 1770, proven 18 Jan 1771. In most records, his name was spelled Morrall or Morral rather than Murrell. The land where he lived in Prince George Parish is now known as Murrell's Inlet in present-day Horry Co. His stepdaughter Martha Bollough, wife Martha's daughter by her first marriage to John Bollough, married Charles Lewis Jr, son of Charles Lewis Sr and grandson of Robert Lewis mentioned above. The land of Charles Lewis Jr adjoined the land of John Morrall in Prince George Parish. Since this John Morrall's connection to the Lewis family is obvious, he is certainly the right John Murrell.

The only unplaced William Murrell found in later records who might be the William Murrell named in the Beresford memorial was William Morrall who married Hannah -?-. They were the parents of at least one child named John born in 1731. Hannah died in 1735. It is not known if William remarried. Again we see the association with the Lewis family. William Morrall and Henry Lewis (son of Robert Lewis) together purchased 2000 acres on the Sampit River in Craven Co from Richard and Mary Smith in 1729. William Murrall was executor of the will of Elias Lewis of Prince George Parish in 1749.  Elias Lewis was the son of  Charles Lewis Sr (son of Robert Lewis) and the brother of Charles Lewis Jr who was so closely associated with John Morrall.  No later records for William Morrall have been found.

There are no indications in the records that the brothers John Morrall and William Morrall were associated in any way with the family of Robert Murrell I and wife Sarah. They never witnessed each other's documents or married into each others' families, although both families were originally from Christ Church Parish. The surnames were similar and Morrall was often recorded as Murrell, but there is no reason to believe that these two families were connected. The Murrells descended from Robert Murrell I and the Morralls descended from John Murrell and Elizabeth were almost certainly not related to each other. At least not closely.

Abstracts of Wills of the State of SC - Caroline T Moore
Volume 2
(p54,55)
Will Book 1740-1747
Jonathan Murril, his mark, Seawee, Christ Church Parish. Wife: Elizabeth, residency on my plantation during her widowhood. 2 sons: Anthony and William, land where I live, land at head of Sampit Creek purchased from Henry Lewis. Daus: Elizabeth, Susannah, Sarah, Mary, and Martha. Exors: Capt William Hendrick, Esq, Mr Joseph Vanderhorst; Mr Richard Capers, Mr John White. Wit: Robt Murril, James Eden, Anthony Vardill, John Bullough, John Baskerfield. D 22 Mar 1743/44 P 14 July 1744 R nd p 309
[Jonathan's daughter Mary was born 19 March 1738 and could not be Mary Murrell wife of Moses Milliken.]

This is the only record in which the Murrells and Morralls were connected. Jonathan Murril was a son of Robert Murrell I and Sarah. Henry Lewis was a son of Robert Lewis, the guardian of John Morrall and William Morrall, the sons of John Murrell d ca 1706.  Henry Lewis and William Morrall had together purchased 2000 acres on the Sampit River in 1729 (mentioned above). It is not known what happened to William Morrall's half of the land, but at least some of Henry Lewis's half was purchased by Jonathan Murrell and inherited by his sons Anthony and William. They later disposed of the land by selling it to their cousin, Robert Murrel, Junr. In the deed below, only 333 acres was sold, not 1000 acres. It is not known what happened to the other 2/3 of Henry Lewis's half of the land.

South Carolina Deed Abstracts Books Y-4 through H-5   Brent H Holcomb
Y-4 304-307  Lease & release. 10&11 Dec 1773. Anthony Murrell and William Murrell of Prince Frederick Parish, SC, shoemakers, to Robert Murrell, Junr of Christ Church Parish, Berkley County, planter, for L200 SC money, 333 acres in Craven county on Sandpit [Sampit] Creek adj said Robert Murrels land, Shotes and Logan's land, Loyd's land.  Anth'y Murrell (LS), William Murrell (LS)  Wit: John Fitzgerald, George Howard, Wm. Michau. Proved in Charlestown District by the oath of William Michau 26 August 1778 before Geo. Sheed. Recorded 12 Oct 1778.

Robert Murrell Junr was actually Robert Murrell III whose father Robert Murrell II (will below - son of Robert Murrell I and Sarah) had left him land on the Sampit which is mentioned in the above deed as the adjoining land already owned by said Robert Murrell. It is not known how or when Robert Murrell II acquired this land.

Abstracts of Wills of the State of SC - Caroline T Moore  Volume 3  (p20)
Will Book QQ 1760-1767
Robert Murriell, Christ Church Parish, Berkeley County. Wife: Susanah, liberty to live in house on plantation where I now live during her widowhood. Sons: Robert, plantation at head of Sampit [River]; John, plantation at Washo in "Santee Parish"; Paul, land in St Dennis' Parish where John Combe now lives, land at Winyah; Peter, land where I now live. Daus: Mary Bell's husband "her share already;" Martha, Susannah, Elizabeth, Damaris, Sarah. Exors: wife; Mr Richard Weathers, Capt John Dutarque; son Robert if any of the two men do not qualify. Wit: John Cuming, Vallintine Darr, John Baskerfield. D 7 Apr 1759, P 22 Jan 1762, R nd p136
[Robert's daughter Mary had married a Bell and could not be Mary Murrell wife of Moses Milliken.]

We have found no proof that John Murrell d by 1706 was the same as an earlier John Murrell, son of William Murrell who arrived in the Charleston area from Barbados in 1671. It's certainly a possibility, but we need more to make a solid connection. This early William Murrell and his son John Murrell as well as Robert Lewis - the same Robert Lewis as above - all arrived in the Charleston area from Barbados in the early 1670's. The earliest record we have found for Robert Lewis proves that his wife had arrived in 1675.

Warrants for Lands in South Carolina 1672-1711   A. S. Salley, Jr  p 134
Carolina/    You are forthwith to admeasure and lay out unto Robt. Lewis and Mary his wife the Quantity of one hundred Acres of Land beinge ye right & proper dew of ye said Mary Arivinge here in ye yeare 1675 in some place not yet laid out or marked to bee laid out for any other person or use and if ye same happen upon any Navigable River or River capable of being maide Navigable you are to allow only ye fifth part of ye depth by ye watter side, and a Certyfycate fully specyfying the boundes and scituation theirof you are to returne to us wth: all convenient speed, Given under our handes at Charles Towne ye 4th May
1677
To Capt Maurice Matthews                   Richard Conant    Joseph West

Suryr/                                                    Ste : Bull              John Godfrey

It's possible Robert Lewis arrived in SC even earlier. At least one source states that he might have arrived in 1671, but no records were cited to support this belief.

Cheves, Langdon, ed. "The Shaftesbury Papers & Other Records Relating to Carolina ....."   p. 329 (the footnote)
Sir J. Yeamans arrived in Carolina from Barbadoes about 1 July 1671. (With or soon after came.......[list of names]..... Wm. Murrel, &c. ....
The Blessing sailed about May 14, 1671, touched at Barbadoes? and Bermuda, and reached Carolina Aug 14 with 96 people - [list of names], other passengers and many servants, perhaps [list of names including Ro. Lewis].

So it's almost certain that Robert Lewis was well acquainted with William Murrell and son John Murrell and was probably close in age to John Murrell. Both families were originally from Barbados and had arrived in SC at very nearly the same time. This early William Murrell was in possession of land and "dwelleth upon" land on the Wando River according to several records from 1671 to 1678.  However, the Cooper River on the east side of Charles Town was referred to as the Wando River in the earliest records. It's clear from the records for William Murrell's land that his land was in the Goose Creek area north of Charleston and west of the Cooper River - but referred to as the Wando River at that time. He also owned a lot at Oyster Point - an early name for Charleston. So the fact that John Murrell d by 1706 and the early William Murrell both lived "on the Wando" actually does not put their homes in the same location. William Murrell lived on the west side of the Cooper River while John Murrell d by 1706 lived on the east side of the Cooper. We will not be able to make the connection by tracing land from one generation to the next.

The compilation of these records is the collective work of Elizabeth Girardeau, John Morrel, and Frances Cullom Harper.  Additions and corrections will be appreciated. With your help, perhaps more can be proven in the future.