Sidney Clifford Brown was born in Wakefield, on 5th June 1898, son of Arthur Brown a colliery agent. He studied mining at the University of Leeds, graduating with a BSc in 1921 and MSc in 1922. He succeeded in obtaining his First Class certificate of competency as a mine manager in 1923.

After being an Associate, he became a full Member of the Institution of Mining Engineers in 1934 by which time he was working as a colliery manager in Pontefract.

During the Second World War he worked for the Ministry of Fuel and Power on their regional coal surveys, providing data for the North Eastern survey in 1945. He achieved personal and professional recognition in 1946 with the award of an MBE (Civil Division) by which time he was working as Assistant Production Director (Opencast). This work transitioned into the National Coal Board.

By 1953 he was listed as Agent to the Small Mines and Drainage Department based at Westfield House, living at Rockcliffe, Parkgate.

In 1960 he gave a paper on ‘Mines drainage with reference to abandoned workings’ to the Barnsley Mining Students Society in which he shared some key insights into understanding old workings:

If you are ever interested in the limits reached by suspected ancient workings of which there are no plans, you will find that very often a surprisingly good guess can be made by estimating the lowest limit at which natural drainage could take place. If the old workings are a little more recent and have been drained by what on the Ordnance Maps are generally referred to as “Engine Pits”, then your estimate should include a low water course delivering to the “Engine Pit”.

Brown, S.C., cMines drainage with reference to abandoned workings’, Transactions of the Barnsley Mining Students Society, Vol. 11, 1960-61, p.20

Enjoying a long retirement, Brown died 1 March 1993.