Fiant facts for kids

A fiant was a special written order used in Ireland a long time ago. It was like a permission slip from the government. This slip told officials to create important official documents called letters patent. These "letters patent" were sealed with the Great Seal of Ireland, making them official.

What Was a Fiant?

The word fiant comes from Latin. It means "Let letters patent be made." Imagine a king or queen saying, "Let it be done!" That's the idea behind a fiant. Fiants were usually issued by the main leader of Ireland, called the chief governor of Ireland. They would use their own special seal, called a privy seal. Sometimes, the Secretary of State would seal them instead. This person was in charge of the Privy Seal of Ireland.

Why Were Fiants Important?

Fiants were used for many different things. They could be about appointing someone to a very important job. They also dealt with big government activities. Sometimes, they even granted a pardon to someone who had done something wrong. This included even the most ordinary people from Gaelic Ireland.

What Information Did Fiants Contain?

Fiants from early modern Ireland are very important. They are like a treasure chest of information for historians and people who study family history (called genealogists). They help us understand what life was like back then. The fiants made during the time of the Tudor kings and queens were especially common. Many of them were about a process called surrender and regrant. This was when Irish chiefs gave up their land to the English Crown. Then, they received it back with new rules. A fiant often gave more details than the final "letters patent" document. Sometimes, a fiant was issued, but the letters patent were never officially recorded. This could happen by accident or on purpose.

How Fiants Changed Over Time

Before a law called the Act of Explanation 1665, letters patent were recorded after they were officially given out. But after this act, the fiant itself was recorded first. Then, the letters patent were issued. This change meant that the official records, called "patent rolls," started to contain the same information as the original fiants. These rolls were organized and listed in the 1800s.

Where Are Fiants Now?

The Public Record Office of Ireland (PROI) used to keep many of these fiants. They had "Chancery fiants" from 1521 (when Henry VIII was king) up to 1891 (when Victoria was queen). They also had other types of fiants. These included "Crown and Hanaper" fiants (1619–1873), "Privy Council of Ireland" fiant books (1711–1832), and "Signet Office" fiant books (1796–1830).

The Sad Story of the Originals

Sadly, most of the original fiants were destroyed. This happened during an explosion in the Four Courts building in 1922. This was a very sad loss for Irish history.

Copies and Records Today

Luckily, some copies and records survived. The fiants from the Tudor kings and queens had been copied and published between 1875 and 1890. This means we still have access to that information. Also, a handwritten list of fiants from the time of James I and Charles I is available. You can find this list at the PROI, which is now called the National Archives of Ireland.