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Fiars were the average prices of victual (grain etc) fixed yearly in the fiars courts (Old French, feor or feur, fixed price, from Latin, forum, a market - Scottish National Dictionary). The fiars court determined the cash conversion for victual, and for rents payable to ministers and schoolmasters as stipends and to the Exchequer. Procedure was regulated by an Act of Sederunt of 21 December 1723 ordaining the fiars to be struck in each county before 1 March each year by the sheriff and a jury of fifteen. As part of the preparations for the re-union of the United Free Church and the established Church of Scotland in 1929, provision was made by the Church of Scotland (Property and Endowments) Act 1925 (15 & 16 Geo 5 c.33) for standardisation of stipends. The practical importance of the fiars courts progressively declined after this. The fiars courts were abolished under the Local Government (Scotland) Act of 1973. |