He was born in Elsau, Canton of Zurich, Switzerland, on 22 July, 1815. His parents were Frederick Weiss and Barbara Weiss. He got married in Lisbon, on 18 December, 1848, to Barbara Plehu, of British nationality, who is still alive.  

He came to Portugal at the age of 32 and was a gardener for a long time, at the service of the house of the Dukes of Palmella. Before coming to Portugal he was at the Garden of Plants in Paris and in different parts of France. 

It was he who built the park of S. Sebastião da Pedreira, owned by José Maria Eugénio de Almeida, where he first established the Jardim Zoologico. Finally, he was at the head of the nurseries of Lisbon City Hall. He has participated in several horticultural exhibitions where he won prizes and was also, on occasions, a member of the jury. 

He died in Lumiar on 30 March, 1898, at the age of 83 and was buried in Lisbon in the German cemetery (…). 

Cfr.  Sousa VITERBO, A jardinagem em Portugal – Apontamentos  para a sua história, Imprensa  da Universidade  de Coimbra, Coimbra, 1906, p.113