Lord of the manor in Mesnil-au-Val, Gilles succeeded his father as “lieutenant des Eaux et Forêts” (in charge of watercourses and forests) for the viscounty of Valognes in 1543.
He is the author of a diary or accounts book (livre de raison) of which only the years from 1549 to 1562 have come down to us; the original manuscript was found in the archives of the château in Saint-Pierre-Église.
This Journal written in Middle French (republished in 4 volumes by the Éditions des champs, 1993-1994) is a firsthand report of the life of a country squire in the Northern part of the Cotentin during the 16th century.
On 1 September 1554, in his Journal, he mentioned the practice of distilling cider to make apple brandy, the first reference to the spirits known today as Calvados.
Since 1986, an association called the Comité Gilles de Gouberville has been busy providing information about the Norman squire, organizing lectures and visits, and publishing annually Les Cahiers goubervilliens since September 1997.