Charles Newman Kidd was born in 1844, West Sussex. He learnt the brewing trade at the Holmes and Styles Medway brewery. Some time before 1870 he bought the Oak Brewery on Hythe Street from William Miskin. In 1890 the brewery was expanded and renamed the Steam Brewery. From February 1920 the business was known as C N Kidds & Sons Ltd. In 1937 the brewery was bought and sold by Courage and brewing ceased. The brewery was demolished in 1937. C.N. Kidd Esq., Steam Brewery, Dartford, Kent. Brewers’ Journal 15th October 1890 Source: Brewery History Society Another business that Kidd was involved in was brick making. He had two brick earth pits, one of which in Shepherds Lane. It is thought the mine closed in around 1912 and subsequently the brick earth pits were used as two rubbish dumps for Kids brewery in town. In 1920 council workers entered the mines and made a small tunnel to intercept a well shaft. A drain connecting the surface water sewers of Shepherds Lane was let i