J W Miller & Sons Ltd
| Private | |
| Industry | Boat building |
| Fate | Closed |
| Founded | incorporated 1929 |
| Headquarters | St Monans, Fife, Scotland |
J W Miller & Sons Ltd was a boatbuilder in St Monans, Fife, Scotland for over 200 years. They produced a variety of fishing boats, yachts and motor launches. The firm built 110 Fifie yachts and was known worldwide for the quality and craftsmanship of their vessels. The yard is now closed.
The firm of James N. Miller & Sons was established in 1747, by John Miller, wheelwright and joiner of Over Kellie. Up to 1888, the firm built fishing boats for St Monans, Pittenweem and Anstruther. As well as being boat builders, the firm were the local joiners and undertakers, making the coffins themselves.
James Thomson Niven Miller opened a second yard in Anstruther, where he was able to build larger Fifie fishing boats, and steam trawlers and drifters, fitted with compound steam engines. He diversified into building cargo boats, launches, fishery inspection vessels and yachts. Later, he was a pioneer for the marine internal combustion engine, installing a diesel two-stroke engine in a 62 ft Fifie fishing boat. In 1908 he fitted a four-cylinder Kelvin paraffin engine in a 40 ft yacht and became an agent for Kelvin engines, an agency which lasted for the lifetime of the business.
Miller's played their part in the two world wars, building motor launches for the Royal Navy for use in the Near East during World War I. Between the wars, while still producing fishing boats, yacht building came into its own. From 1920 to 1939, 66 yachts were built, many to Miller's own design. Others were designed by naval architects including G L Watson and W G McBryde. A total of 59 vessels, motor torpedo boats and motor launches were built during and immediately after World War II. Post-war, a number of new fishing fleets and several large luxury yachts were built. In 1957, James's grandson, Jimmy, designed the Fifie yachts, on fishing boat lines. The first, a 31 footer Royle Fifer, was taken to the 1958 Boat Show at Olympia and was sold on preview day. Up to 1969, 110 Fifer yachts were built, the largest being 45 feet, with several making Round the World trips.
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