A Newspaper posted to Pensford in 1877

Below are images of the front and back of  a page of "The Local Government Chronicle and Knight's Official Advertiser" which was sent to "All Boards of Guardians and Sanitary Authorities" which was published weekly.  As stated on the front cover this had been "Registered at the General Post Office as a Newspaper".

From 1870 each copy of a periodical registered as a newspaper with the Post Office could be sent at a special rate (initially this was regardless of weight).  From 1870 to 1915 this rate was ½d each - but this posting of a registered newspaper for some reason did not take advantage of the rate, being franked with a 1d stamp.

The front bears a 1d red plate 189 cancelled with a "BRISTOL / 134" 4-bar vertical oval duplex cancel dated 14th February 1877, with a single ring "PENSFORD" cancel also dated 14th February but with no year visible.

As can be seen and as was normal for newspapers of the time, the front consists of commercial advertisements aimed at the target audience of sanitary engineers and guardians who managed the workhouses or poor houses.  The reverse of the page has "official" advertisements for Medical Officers, Schoolmistresses, Nurses and other posts associated with the workhouses.

See here for the Wikipedia article on Workhouses.