A regular contributor to the Jornal do Commercio, Revolução de Septembro, O Panorama, Archivo Pittoresco, Diario de Noticias, Zoophilo, among other periodicals, he was a full member of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Lisbon, Commander of the Order of the Tower and Sword, Knight of the Order of Our Lady of the Conception of Vila Viçosa, Grand Cross of the Order of St. Stanislaus of Russia and Knight of the Crown of Oak of the Netherlands, among other honours and distinctions. Alongside his professional and academic career, he was an outspoken advocate for social and civic welfare, education and even animal rights, rising to the highest political and administrative positions of his time.

As a historian, he will always be remembered for the monumental nature of his research and documentary work in Historia dos Estabelecimentos Scientificos, Literários e Artisticos de Portugal nos successivos reinados da Monarchia (History of Scientific, Literary and Artistic Establishments in Portugal during the successive reigns of the Monarchy), which is essential for understanding not only the institutions but also the history of education and public administration in Portugal.

Bibliografia activa: Beja no anno de 1845 ou primeiros traços estatisticos d’aquella cidade , Typographia de A. L. da Cunha, Funchal, 1847; Collecção dos Escriptos Administrativos e Litterarios do Snr. Joze Silvestre Ribeiro, governador-civil do distrito de Angra do Heroismo, desde 26-XI-1839 a 26-XI-1843 , compilação de Félix José da COSTA, 1.ª Parte, Imprensa do Governo, Angra do Heroísmo, 1843 (2.ª Parte, 1844); Esboço Historico de D. Duarte de Bragança irmão de El-Rei D. João IV , Imprensa Nacional, Lisboa, 1876; Estudo Moral e Politico sobre os Lusiadas , Imprensa Nacional, Lisboa, 1853; Historia dos Estabelecimentos Scientificos, Litterarios e Artisticos de Portugal nos successivos reinados da Monarchia , vols. I-XIX, Typographia da Academia Real das Sciencias, Lisboa, 1871-1893/1914; O Real Observatorio Astronomico de Lisboa: noticia historica e descriptiva , Typographia da Academia Real das Sciencias, Lisboa, 1871; Primeiros Traços d’uma Resenha da Litteratura Portugueza , Imprensa Nacional, Lisboa, 1853, 1855; Resoluções do Conselho de Estado na Secção do Contencioso Administrativo , coligidas e explicadas por José Silvestre RIBEIRO, vols. I-XVIII, Imprensa Nacional, Lisboa, 1854-1874; Singelo epitome de esclarecimentos acerca da protecção devida aos animaes , Imprensa Nacional, Lisboa, 1875.

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