May Donoghue

May Donoghue (1898–1958) found a decomposed mollusc in her ginger beer, which made her ill and she was diagnosed with gastroenteritis, as a result she sued the manufacturer, Stevenson, and the case was settled out of court in 1932. The internationally renowned legal case ‘Donoghue v Stevenson’ lay the foundation for the modern law on negligence and became known as ‘the snail in the bottle’ case. The bronze statue entitled ‘Dear Duty’ depicts Donoghue holding her twin granddaughters on their christening day, which the sculptor intended to symbolise the scales of justice. The statue, which is sited close to the café where Donoghue found the snail in her drink, stands on a plinth decorated with hand-coloured bronze spirals which represent the snail.

Location: Wellmeadow Street, Paisley, Scotland.