Gregoire: 1915 New York State Census

In 1915, Octave was living at 336 E. 18th Street, in New York City.  This is near Gramercy Park, and may be part of it, but I'll need to research that more at a later date.  

On the New York State Census, his occupation is listed as "Electrician."

He is living with Charlotte, noted on the census as "Wife," as well as his son Maurice and daughter Nellie.  Maurice's age on the census is incorrect - he would have been 23 years old in 1915, not 33.  Maurice was working as "Salesman Shoes" and Nellie as "Clerk Emp. Agency."  That abbreviation "Emp." might stand for "Employment."

Portion of the New York State Census for 1915 showing Octave Gregoire and family
from ancestry.com.

I haven't found evidence on-line of a marriage for Octave and Charlotte.   Charlotte's birthplace is shown on this census as France, but in fact I believe that she was born in French Guiana, South America.  Her birthplace is noted in her obituary printed in the Asbury Park [NJ] Press on Jul.15, 1968.

My mother Eleanor didn't know her biological paternal grandmother because Laure died before she was born, but she did know Charlotte, and always spoke of her with fondness.  "We called her 'Grandma-MA,' because that's how she taught us to say it.  She was from Martinique - she had a beautiful French accent!"  

I believe that Charlotte was born in French Guiana about 1892.  She lived a portion of her life in Martinique, details unknown, based on family information.  I am pretty sure that she emigrated to the U.S. from Martinique in 1912, when she was 20 years old, based on information gleaned from some tentative research.   

I searched for all passengers coming into New York from French Guiana in 1912, the immigration year noted for Charlotte in her obituary, who had the first name "Charlotte."  There weren't many at all with that name.  The Parima came up, showing a departure from Martinique on Apr.10 1912.   The manifest  listed one Charlotte - "Lecossois, Charlotte."  The Parima arrived in New York on Apr. 19, 1912.

Passenger manifest of the SS Parima, sailing from Martinique on Aug. 10, 1892
showing Charlotte possibly with the last name Lecossois.  From ancestry.com.

Abstract of Charlotte Lecossois on the passenger manifest of the SS Parima, which
arrived in New York on Apr.19 1912 from Martinique.  The transcriber typed 
Charlotte's "Ethnicity/Nationality" as Italian, but on the original document, it's noted
as "French West Indian."