Edmund Gale was born in England and arrived in North Carolina by 1715. Originally a resident of Pasquotank Precinct, Gale benefitted from his brother Christopher's position as the colony's chief justice to attain a seat in the North Carolina Assembly in 1716. He later served as Pasquotank's treasurer in 1720 and as a justice of the North Carolina General Court from 1722 to 1726. He became a member of the North Carolina Council in 1725, serving until 1728. Gale served on the council again from 1731 to 1734. He died in Chowan Precinct in about February 1739.