He served in the 2nd Lancers Regiment of the Portuguese Army, where he took part in July 1837 in a failed attempt to restore the Constitutional Charter of 1826.
He returned to Portugal when a popular revolt grew against the anticlerical government of Costa Cabral, resulting in the 23 March 1846 Revolution of Maria da Fonte, which he joined.
He was sentenced to exile to the Portuguese colony of Angola where he lived for the remainder of his life in the area around Malanje.
He is regarded as a Portuguese equivalent of Robin Hood as he stole from the rich to give to the poor.
[1] Zé do Telhado's exploits rapidly became part of Portuguese folklore and have been an inspiration for a number of plays and novels.