Gilbert Leigh was a carpenter who arrived in Edenton from Perquimans County, North Carolina by 1756. Leigh assisted in the construction of many notable buildings and homes in the area during his career, some of which are still standing. An owner of enslaved people, Leigh was a member of the local freeholders court which heard cases involving enslaved people. Leigh later returned to Perquimans, where he died by January 1793.