Thanks M,
so looks like the above Birth for Maud was correct ie
Child Surname Child Forename Father Surname Mother Surname Mother's Former Name Year District Office Register Entry
BLANCH Maude BLANCH BLANCH NASH 1870 Forest of Dean Monmouth, Coleford 26 355

FreeBMD Birth Index gives the Date of Registration as July/Aug/Sep:

Surname Given Name District Volume Page Transcribers
----------------------------------------------------------------
Births Sep 1870
----------------------------------------------------------------
Blanch Maude Monmouth 11a 23 chaswh
BLANCH Maude Monmouth 11a 23 NicClarke

Searching a birth of mother Mary Ann Blanch fitting the 1846 birth year doesn't give a good fit anywhere in the UK ( I see many Mary Blanch including Durham particularly), so was she already married on your 1871 above despite no obvious spouse in the household, altho of course it states she's a Daughter ?.

I don't have full Census access but here she is again in 1851, in the same NASH household, so it is her immediate family it seems:

2444 1851 CENSUS HO107/2444 FF.0042-0053 ED.2B COLEFORD 1
Piece: 2444 Folio: 0046 Schedule: 005

Address: Ellwood

NASH William HD M 38 Farmer GLS West Dean (c1813)
NASH Lueza WI M 40 - MON Chepstow (c1811)
NASH Elizabeth DA U 13 Scholar GLS West Dean (c1838)
NASH Reubin SO U 12 Scholar GLS West Dean (c1839)
NASH James SO - 10 Scholar GLS West Dean (c1841)
NASH Eliza DA - 8 - GLS West Dean (c1843)
NASH Mary A. DA - 5 - GLS West Dean (c1846)
NASH Lueza DA - 2 - GLS West Dean (c1849)
NASH William SO - 6M - GLS West Dean (c1850)
REESE William SV U 25 - GLS Lydney Parish (c1826)

Searching her possible Marriage to a Blanch,
GlosBMD gives (Registry Office again, non Conformists I think)

Groom Surname Groom Forename Bride Surname Bride Forename District Parish Building Year Register Entry
BLANCH Thomas NASH Mary Ann Forest of Dean Monmouth Register Office 1870 6 161

Again from FreeBMD, Marriage registered Jan/Feb/March 1870;
Surname First name(s) District Vol Page
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Marriages Mar 1870 (>99%)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Blanch Thomas Monmouth 11a 58
NASH Mary Ann Monmouth 11a 58

I'm not certain but I suspect this is our Thomas ( a popular family name!) in 1851 Census:

2444 1851 CENSUS HO107/2444 FF.0243-0262 ED.5F COLEFORD 1
Piece: 2444 Folio: 0251 Schedule: 040

Address: Elwood,40

BLANCH William HD M 45 Farmer GLS West Dean (c1806)
BLANCH Sarah WI M 45 - HEF Abbydore [Abbey Dore] (c1806)
BLANCH William SO U 20 Farmer Son GLS Par[ish of] Newland (c1831)
BLANCH Lizzy DA U 18 - GLS Par[ish of] Newland (c1833)
BLANCH John SO U 11 Scholar GLS West Dean (c1840)
BLANCH Sarah DA - 8 Scholar GLS West Dean (c1843)
BLANCH Thomas SO - 6 Scholar GLS West Dean (c1845)
MORGAN Mary SV - 17 House Servant GLS Par[ish of] Newland (c1834)

I cannot find "our" Thomas in the 1881 Census, altho too many to choose from, could this be why ?, from this site's PRs

Record_ID: 9597
Entry_Number: 165
Year: 1870
Month: May
Day: 27
Surname: BLANCH
Forenames: Thomas
Residence: Ellwood
Age_at_death: 25
Officiating_Minister: H. L Parry Vicar
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P88 IN 1/7
Page_No: 22
Parish_Chapel: Clearwell
Soundex: B452

So born abt 1845..
I cannot find an Inquest for him.

All very close datewise but it's possible this is the same Thomas who married Mary Ann just a few months earlier, having fathered Maud about the same time.

I cannot find Mary Ann or Maud BLANCH in the 1881 Census, at least not in the local area using the LDS site, has she remarried ? YES

From GlosBMD
Groom Surname Groom Forename Bride Surname Bride Forename District Parish Building Year Register Entry
BOWER James NASH Mary Ann Forest of Dean Monmouth Register Office 1878 11 43
BOWER James BLANCH Mary Ann Forest of Dean Monmouth Register Office 1878 11 43

Searching 1881 again;

Name: Mary Ann Bower
Age (Original): 35
Gender: Female
Birth Year: 1846
Birthplace: Ellwood, Gloucestershire, England
Relationship to Head of Household: Wife
Marital Status: Married
Occupation: Inn Keepers Wife
Address: White Horse Inn
Event Place: East Dean, Gloucestershire, England
Disability:
Record Type: Household
GS Film number: 1341609
Affiliate Publication Number: RG11
Piece/Folio: 2523 / 63
Page Number: 12
Household Gender Age Birthplace
Head James Bower M 50 London, London, Middlesex, England
Wife Mary Ann Bower F 35 Ellwood, Gloucestershire, England
Daughter Maude Bower F 11 Ellwood, Gloucestershire, England

SO, does this mean this cannot be the Maud who married Thomas Matthews in 1889 ??

And a White Horse inn reference, could this be the Bradley Hill (Mitcheldean/Longhope area ?) inn MPG refers to above ???

Off for a lie-down now ! ;-)

Think we need to find out from 'Troyta' more information of Thomas MATTHEWS i.e. age and residence in the USA etc.

Agreed !

--
Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster & Hereford Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>