The civic Parish of Launton was formed in 1894 following the introduction of the original Local Government Act of 1894. It is, therefore, one of the earliest Parish Councils created and the Oxfordshire County Archive has records to this effect.
The 1894 Act split the ecclesiastical and the civil areas of parish life. It removed the responsibility of the whole parish area from the incumbent (the vicar or rector) and churchwardens and delegated that responsibility to the Parish Council. The Church then just had responsibility for the church building and churchyards and the Parish Council had the responsibility, together with the District and County Councils, for the physical area of the village or town.