The information does seem to stack up. Matilda was with the Phelps's in 1861 and 1871 but not in 1881, when she shows up in Leicestershire. Since she was in Awre from at least the age of 3, it doesn't seem surprising that she quotes this as her place of birth later on, and giving a father's name of William on her marriage certificate makes sense if she was brought up by William and Ann Phelps.

Incidentally, Ann's age seems very inconsistent between censuses - the image I looked at for 1861 seems to show 38 while that for 1871 census clearly shows 71, in both cases the place of birth is Gatcombe so it's unlikely they are different people. The FoD records show William and Ann as being married in Awre on 27/12/1840, no obvious connection with the Price's.

I tried to trace Mary Price a bit further. From the FoD records, there is a plausible baptism on 2/12/1838 in Parkend, parents William and Elizabeth, living in Pillowell which isn't far from Lydney. Census records for 1841 show a Mary Price of the right age living in Pillowell with the Morgan family. On the assumption that these are the same person, I searched for either a William or Elizabeth Price in the 1841 census, and found the latter (of about the right age) living at Clift Farm, Lydney - with, amongst many others, a family by the name of Phelps. This may explain why Matilda was later cared for by others of that name.

Unfortnately, beyond that the trail goes cold - Mary Price is a fairly common name, she certainly wasn't at the same address in later censuses so it's almost impossible to know which Mary is which.

Once again, thanks to everyone who's contributed - it's helped me to find out a little about a previously unknown part of my family.

I will investigate these leads further.

Good candidate for mother - unmarried

1861
Mary Price abt 1835 Lydney, Gloucestershire, England Servant Hartpury, Gloucestershire

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1861
William Phelps abt 1813 St Awre, Gloucestershire, England Head Awre, Gloucestershire
Ann Phelps abt 1803 Gatcombe, Gloucestershire, England Wife Awre, Gloucestershire
Matilda Price abt 1858 Monmouthshire, Wales Boarder Awre, Gloucestershire

1871 Awre
William Phelps 58
Ann Phelps 71
Matilda Price 12

1881
Joseph Kirk abt 1817 Billingborough, Lincoln, England Head Loughborough, Leicestershire
Elizabeth Kirk abt 1815 Castle Bytom, Lincoln, England Wife Loughborough, Leicestershire
Catherine Kirk abt 1861 Walcot, Lincoln, England Daughter Loughborough, Leicestershire
Matilda Price abt 1858 Awre, Gloucestershire, England Boarder Loughborough, Leicestershire

name: John Stokes
Name: Matilda Price
Year of Registration: 1882
Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun
District: Loughborough
County: Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire
Volume: 7a
Page: 221

1891
John Stokes abt 1863 Woodborough, Leicestershire, England Head Thorpe Acre With Dishley, Leicestershire
Matilda Stokes abt 1862 Monmouthshire, Wales Wife Thorpe Acre With Dishley, Leicestershire
John F Stokes abt 1890 Thorpe Acre, Leicestershire, England Son Thorpe Acre With Dishley, Leicestershire
Lily Stokes abt 1860 [1888] Thorpe Acre, Leicestershire, England Daughter Thorpe Acre With Dishley, Leicestershire

1901
John Stokes abt 1861 Leicestershire, England Head Nanpantan, Leicestershire
Matilda Stokes abt 1859 Hane, Gloucestershire, England Wife Nanpantan, Leicestershire
Lily Stokes abt 1888 Knight; Thorpe, Leicestershire, England Daughter Nanpantan, Leicestershire
John Francis Stokes abt 1890 Thorpe Acre, Leicestershire, England Son Nanpantan, Leicestershire
Walter Henry Stokes abt 1893 Thorpe Acre, Leicestershire, England Son Nanpantan, Leicestershire
Wilfred Stokes abt 1897 Nanpantan, Leicestershire, England Son Nanpantan, Leicestershire

Name: Matilda Stokes
Estimated birth year: abt 1859
Year of Registration: 1906
Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun
Age at Death: 47
District: Loughborough
County: Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire
Volume: 7a
Page: 73

Whether this is Matilda in 1861, her pob if given as Monmouthshire.

Civil parish Awre
Reg district Westbury on Severn
Sub reg district Newnham

Matilda Price born abt 1858 boarder born Monmouthshire
William Phelps head
Ann Phelps wife

Class RG9
Piece 1754
Folio 58
Page 10

Census records show that she was born in about 1859 in Awre, although I can find no record of a birth certificate on FreeBMD. She moved to Leicestershire before 1881, and married there in 1882; the marriage certificate quotes her father as William PRICE, a labourer.

Searching the records on this web site, I have found a Matilda Price that was baptised in Awre on 21/01/1861; her mother's name was Mary, no father given, and the residence was Hartpury. It seems odd to take a child so far to be baptised.

I can find no promising records of a William Price marrying Mary at about the right time and place, either here or on FreeBMD.

Any information would be greatly appreciated.