Mss Eur F697/10/2

Diary kept by Lydia Fanny Sophia Pitt, née Raban (1862-1942), wife of Robert Francis Salisbury Pitt (1858-1907) and mother of Christian Augusta b. 1896.

The diary commences 14 January 1907 with Lydia summarising their holidays the previous year and their failed attempts to purchase a house which had led them to acquiring a plot of land to build their own house. The diary entries recount the various places, friends, and family visited primarily by Lydia, Bob (Robert), Christian and Anny; observations on the weather; Lydia's work with the local sunday school; and progress with the building of their house to be known as Four-Acres which they moved into 9 October 1889.

There are daily entries until the 1 August 1889 after which the diary jumps to the 9th October to record them moving into their house. The next entry summarises Robert Pitt's birthday on 5 October prior to his death on 17 October 1889.

The diary then moves to 10th July 1908 with Lydia commenting that she had been unable to write since the loss of her husband and summarising some of the events that had occurred in the intervening period and the friends and family who had visited and supported them. The diary then includes brief entries for January 1917 in which she mentions the Great War; 1918 in which she refers to her and Christian's work at Roehampton Hospital as part of the war effort, entertainments they saw, friends and family they visited, and work at the Sunday School; August 1920 recounting a trip to Bordighera before continuing the diary for November and December 1920 with her and Christian's daily activities.