His brothers John Gilbert senior and Alexander Gilbert, and nephew David Gilbert (a son of John Gilbert) were also goldsmiths. An earlier "Michael Gilbert" was a goldsmith, so he is often listed as "Michael II Gilbert". At the
Scottish Reformation in 1559, Gilbert was given two small silver chandeliers from the treasury of
St Giles' Kirk for safekeeping. In 1560 he bought silver from the church and the diamond from a ring on the finger of the arm relic of St Giles.
George Seton, 7th Lord Seton is thought to have commissioned dies from Gilbert to strike gold and silver medals with the motto "UN DIEU, UN FOY, UN ROY, UN LOY", and a monogram with his initials and those of his wife, Isobel Hamilton, daughter of
William Hamilton of Sanquhar, "GS-IH," with another motto "Nemo Potest Duobus Dominus Servire," from Matthew 6:24, "No one can serve two masters". In 1570 Lord Seton owed Gilbert for a dozen silver trenchers, three silver cups, and a dozen silver spoons. By May 1566, Gilbert was appointed as the master goldsmith to
Mary, Queen of Scots and Lord Darnley, and he was exempted from any military service that would take him away from his royal duties. On 11 June 1567, the
Provost of Edinburgh,
Simon Preston, sent Edward Littil, William Foular, and Gilbert to
Dunbar Castle, where Mary was with
Bothwell, with the burgh council's excuse and reasons for receiving their political opponents, the Confederate Lords. In July, Gilbert,
Nicol Edward, and
Robert Abercromby were sent as Edinburgh's commissioners to the
coronation of James VI at Stirling. Gilbert sold rings and other jewels to
Regent Moray and his wife
Agnes Keith. These included in March 1568; two diamond rings and two ruby rings, a gold chain with a "tablet" or locket, and a laver or jug of Paris silver. He went to London with the merchant William Fowler in May 1571, bringing letters from
Mary, Queen of Scots to
John Lesley,
Bishop of Ross. Gilbert offered rings and "tablets" or lockets of French manufacture to Lesley in July. He offered to exchange money in Edinburgh for Lesley, working with his "good sone" or son-in-law, Nicol Edward. During the "lang siege" of
Edinburgh Castle of the
Marian Civil War, Gilbert's house in Edinburgh was demolished by the supporters of
Mary, Queen of Scots in February 1572 along with Uddert's,
Robert Gourlay's, and a house belonging to
James MacGill.
Regent Morton bought a gold tablet from him for £22
Scots to give to
Sir Thomas Musgrave, Captain of
Bewcastle. In 1575 Gilbert and
George Heriot petitioned Morton against
Edward Hart who claimed he should be a master goldsmith despite not meeting the criteria. Morton was persuaded to support the "liberty" of the craft incorporation, and soon after Hart accepted that he should make a "masterpiece" in the workshop of Heriot or William Cok. Hart was made a master of the goldsmith craft on 22 December 1575. He was made Deacon of the goldsmiths in June 1576 but refused the appointment. In 1579 he was one of the burgesses appointed to carry the "paill" or canopy at the
Entry of James VI into Edinburgh. On that occasion James VI was given a cupboard of
silver gilt plate. Gilbert advised a committee on this gift, but the silver was made by other goldsmiths including Edward Hart,
Thomas Annand, George Heriot, Adam Craig and William Cok or Cokky.
James Stewart, Earl of Arran made the town of Edinburgh watch nightly for his enemies in 1585. He came in April to check and found Michael Gilbert and his wife in the street. Gilbert said he had sent a substitute or deputy. Arran became angry with this and chased him to his house, beating him with his baton. The town was closed its gates against Arran for a time after this. In June 1586 the
Earl of Bothwell and his wife
Margaret Douglas sold him rights to the crops of the lands of Traprain and Hailes. In 1588 a hoard of counterfeit hardhead two pence pieces were found buried in the cellar of house belonging to him in Leith. The goldsmith and financier
Thomas Foulis was one of his apprentices. Gilbert and Foulis provided
New Year's day gifts to the king in January 1589. His nephew David Gilbert was commissioned by
William Fairlie to remodel a jewel presented to
Anne of Denmark during her
Entry to Edinburgh. Michael Gilbert died on 24 September 1590. ==Marriages and family==