The business was originally involved in ship owning and ship management. It was founded in 1920 by Kenneth Monroe shortly after he was demobilised at the end of the First World War.
Originally based in Cardiff he was joined by his two brothers in the early twenties. He had a discerning eye to purchase well-built boats and an attention to the detail of the operating costs. As such his business was profitable and over time he built up a fleet of thirty coasters.
The outbreak of the Second World War saw the fortunes of the company change. Ships were lost from enemy action and also requisitioned by the Admiralty. Kenneth Monroe died of heart disease in 1942 and only the intervention of his wife, Anne Monroe, prevented the company from being requisitioned by the Royal Navy.
At the end of the war Kenneth Monroe’s eldest son, also called Kenneth, left the Navy to join the company followed shortly after by the youngest son, Robert. Coastal shipping was in decline against the competition from road haulage and the company shifted the emphasis to two ocean-going cargo vessels the “Helen Miller” and the “Susan Miller”. At about the same time the company diversified into ship-broking. In 1988 the remaining ships were sold and then the ship-broking business was sold a few years later.
In 1996 Charles, the youngest son of Robert Monroe, returned from working as an engineer in Italy and restarted the company as an engineering consultancy. Over the subsequent years the company has prospered delivering advanced cryogenic solutions to its clients.
The Staghound was completed in 1895 and acquired by Monroe Brothers Ltd in 1936. During the war she was requisitioned by the Admiralty and was bombed whilst being used as a distilling ship. Beyond economic repair she was then towed to the Severn Estuary and beached on the mud flats. Ahead of the Allied invasion of mainland Europe, the military had decided to use the wreck to develop methods to flatten a ship. This was in case ships were scuttled in the harbours which would be needed to supply the invasion armies.
If the satellite view of Google maps are taken at low tide then the remains can be seen on this link.
The ship was completed in 1913 as Hampshire Coast. She was acquired by Monroe Brothers Ltd in 1936. She was broken up in 1950.
The ship was acquired by Monroe Brothers Ltd in 1938. She was torpedoed and sunk by U100 southwest of Iceland en route from Scotland to Nova Scotia.
The Susan Miller was completed in 1972 for the St Vincent Shipping Co. Ltd (Monroe Brothers as managers). She was sold in 1978 and renamed Artemis. She is still in service as of 2022, is now named Brave Warrior and her location can be seen on the following website.