Bolton v Stone (1951)

Abstract

Bolton v Stone (1951) Few cases in the history of the common law are as well known as that of 'Bolton v Stone' (1951). On an afternoon in August 1947,members of the Cheetham and Denton St Lawrence 2nd XI were playing cricket at Cheetham's ground in Manchester when a batsman hit a cricket ball over the fence. The ball hit Miss Bessie Stone, a resident of a street adjoining the ground. The ball struck Miss Stone in the head, and caused bleeding, but the wound later became infected and Miss Stone suffered significant pain and disablement as a result of the incident. She commenced proceedings, probably with the aid of solicitors acting 'pro bono', against three members of the management committee of the Cheetham Cricket Club, alleging, essentially, that the cricket club had been careless in allowing cricket to be played in circumstances where a ball could be hit out of the ground and cause injury to a pedestrian or home owner. In May 195 1 the House of Lords found for the cricket club, although it seems the club allowed Miss Stone to keep the damages she was awarded by winning the earlier appeal to the Court of Appeal.