The son of Thomas Gilbert, Charles was born in the parish of Kenwyn, near Truro, in 1760.
The first volume appeared in 1817 of An Historical Survey of the County of Cornwall, to which is added a Complete Heraldry of the same, with numerous Woodcuts, 592 pages.
Although Gilbert was patronized by successive dukes of Northumberland, and obtained a number of subscribers, the work cost double his estimate.
[1] According to Joseph Polsue in his Complete Parochial History of the County of Cornwall: "There are many errors in the topographical portion of the History, and a number of misplaced paragraphs; and nearly the whole of the monumental inscriptions given were imperfectly and carelessly transcribed".
[2] During the progress of his Survey Gilbert had money troubles, and on 29 October 1825 he was gazetted a bankrupt.