The house flag of Hine Brothers, Maryport. A white rectangular flag with a red border. In the centre, there is a blue oval with the letters 'H. BRS.' in white. The flag is made of wool bunting with a linen hoist and is machine sewn. A rope and toggle is attached.

The Hine Brothers, Wilfred and Alfred, founded their shipping company, the Holme Line in 1872. Wilfred Hine had already been involved in the shipping business, operating and co-owning several ships in Liverpool. In its first five years, the company operated 16 ships. The Hine brothers tended to buy newer ships, as opposed to most ship owners in their port town of Maryport, who relied on older ships. The Holme Line ships ran trading routes to Australia, returning to Britain with wool. They also carried steel rails to Canada for the Canadian Pacific Railway coming back loaded with grain and timber products. By 1900 the company operated about 27 steamships. It was in this year that the company purchased its last ship, the ‘Hazel Holme’ which was subsequently wrecked in the Bay of Biscay in 1911. The Holme Line was particularly unlucky with wrecks and lost nine ships during its time in business. One wreck, the ‘Thomas Vaughan’, is now a popular dive site off the coast of Pembrokeshire. In the early twentieth century, Maryport experienced a severe decline in its shipping business. In 1913, shipbuilding ceased in the town and in 1914 the shipyards had closed. The Holme Line inevitably suffered during this time and was forced to finally terminate its business in 1913.