Fiant

The word Fiant is an abbreviation of "Fiant litterae patentes", which means "'Let letters patent be made". These were warrants to the Court of Chancery in Ireland, which was the authority for the issue of letters patents under the Great Seal. They dealt with matters ranging from appointments to high office and important government activities, to grants of pardons to the humblest of the native Irish.

Fiants date from the reign of Henry VIII through that of William and Mary and are of major importance to persons doing Irish genealogical research.