Mss Eur F697/7/2

The diary commences 11 October 1886 with Ellie living with her father Herbert Raban (1820-1887) at a house in North Curry, Somerset, where she teaches Italian and gives Music Lessons.

There are frequent entries regarding visits to Hatch, Somerset where her younger sister Lydia lives with their Uncle George and Aunt Fanny. Ellie also often stays with he her aunt Jessie Evans and cousin Nellie in Wimbledon, her aunt Annie Gooch and cousin Josie in Windsor and her brother Willie and his wife May in Langford, Somerset.

The diary records her sister in law Annie Raban's marriage to Charles Edward Chard on 30 November 1886. Mr Chard is the rector at Hatch, Somerset and Ellie becomes a frequent visitor to their home too. (Annie's first husband was Herbert Raban (1844-1878), Ellie's eldest brother.)

The 1887 entries are overshadowed by her father's illness, which is first mentioned on 24 February and ultimately leads to his death on 20 June 1887. Following her father's funeral on 22nd June there are only a handful of entries for some time.

Ellie writes brief entries for 23rd to 26th June, 18th July and 20th July. She does not resume her diary proper until 30th July 1887.

The resumption of her entries sees her moving to Hatch to live with her sister in law Annie and packing up her father's house in North Curry. She leaves Hatch on 6th October to go and live with her Aunt Jessie and cousin Nellie in Wimbledon. From Wimbledon she often goes to stay with her brother Edward and his wife Edith in Shoeburyness, as well as having their daughters Mabel and Maud to stay in Wimbledon.

The diary also records her brother 'Willie' (Francis William Raban)'s death 10th February 1888 and his funeral in Langford 13th February 1888, she then remains in Langford with her sister in law May until 1st March.

On 8th March she travels to Norwich to stay with her Aunt Sophie Allan, whom she remarks she has not visited for 3 years, remaining there until 14th April.

The entry for 25th April records her attendance at the wedding of Beatrice Robinson to Francis William Northey in Kensington, London.

Ellie departs Wimbledon on 4th May 1888 to stay with her aunt Annie in Windsor, before departing there on 16th May to stay in Langford with her sister in law May Raban, the last proper entry in the diary is dated 20th May 1888 from Langford.

An extra page has been added to the diary by Ellie, for 2nd to 3rd July 1888 with Ellie still in Langford. The entries record the news that her brother Charlie had died in India on 25 June 1888.