Ramón as a youngster moved from France to Spain and entered Real Seminario Científico Industrial,[12] a state-ran and highly esteemed[13] Gipuzkoan educational establishment in Bergara.

Since her father[18] died in 1873[19] with no male descendants, having been the oldest daughter she arranged to inherit his titles as 7th marquesa de Villa Alegre and San Millán; Altarriba became marqués consorte.

[34] Apparently enjoying adventurous life and vivacious company, he demonstrated some gift for rhyming couplets;[35] at that time he befriended Nicolas Estevanez Murphy.

[48] In final phase of the war and in unclear circumstances there was an investigative proceeding launched against Altarriba; eventually cleared of all charges, he was promoted to brigadier.

[56] His wife held land also in Álava and Andalusia;[57] for some time Altarriba managed the Pinos Puente estate in Granada, which she possessed jointly with her two unmarried sisters, though with a rather mediocre result.

[58] In 1878 José María Altarriba, unmarried and with no issue,[59] renounced baronia[60] in favor of his younger brother, making Ramón the 24th barón de Sangarrén.

[65] As in early 1879 the military rule was terminated and civic rights restored in Gipuzkoa,[66] Altarriba – already admitted to a meeting of leading Carlists – spoke in favor of taking part in the elections.

The dispute grew into a full-scale conflict, waged also by means of guerra periodistica;[77] to fight the Nocedalista titles,[78] Sangarrén founded a Madrid satirical weekly, El Cabecilla.

[85] Focused on by the press as a single Carlist in the Cortes,[86] when sworn Altarriba declared in the house that he considered Carlos VII the king of Spain.

[100] When in late 1888 he was appointed vice-president of the newly established Junta Directiva del Circulo Tradicionalista de Madrid,[101] he refused the post claiming – probably sarcastically – that he did not merit such an honor.

[102] In 1889 Carlos VII started to build formal nationwide party structures, initially disguised as an organization to stage celebrations of Conversión de Recaredo centenary; within its Junta Central, soon turned into a permanent collegial executive,[103] Sangarrén was nominated to represent Castilla la Vieja.

[107] Though in early 1890 El Cabecilla mocked marqués de Cerralbo,[108] when later that year the latter was finally appointed the new Jefe Delegado Sangarrén rushed with congratulations, directed to "mi querido amigo".

Details of its work are not known; the outcome was that in Azpeitia, which turned into a prestigious battlefield against the rebellious Ramón Nocedal, Sangarrén had to give way to the aspiring Gipuzkoan leader, Tírso de Olazábal.

[116] He held stakes in paper mill business in Pyrenaic parts of the Lérida province[117] and was vice-president of Derecha del Rio Genil, a Granada-based company engaged in irrigation works.

[118] As the Carlist fuerista principles envisaged that a politician should only represent the region where he lives,[119] within the party command structures Altarriba formally headed Castilla la Vieja.

[120] Though due to his terrateniente status he exercised the largest influence in Gipuzkoa,[121] Vascongadas was first headed by Valde-Espina, then by Salvador Elío y Ezpeleta[122] and later by Tirso de Olazábal.

[123] Altarriba's contribution to Gipuzkoan Carlism, however, remained crucial; local landowners were key to mobilising rural support[124] and maintaining – if not straightforwardly financing – provincial party structures.

[134] However, during the Spanish–American War Sangarrén was busy denouncing widely circulating rumors about another Carlist insurgency forthcoming as "a fable",[135] though it is not clear whether it was a pre-agreed propaganda smokescreen or a genuine effort.