1912 - The loss of the 'Titanic' on the 15th April 1912 sent shock waves throughout the maritime world and even impacted upon the people of Penarth, as this article from the Glamorgan Archives illustrates. The papers were found amongst the Borough of Cardiff Records and detail the plight of two children orphaned as a result of the disaster.

"Annie Meek from Penarth had secured a position as cook in the United States. She accepted the job, despite the distance, in an effort to support her two young children having been deserted by their father. Annie Meek obtained a steerage passage to the US on the maiden voyage of the Titanic, and was one of the 1,517 passengers and crew who lost their lives when the ship foundered. The Meek children, aged 6 months and 6 years, were left in the care of their grandmother in Windsor Road, Penarth, and there was a great deal of interest in the case locally.