Family headship has not been systematically investigated in the sociology of the family, yet "head of the family" is a meaningful phrase to most people. A survey of adults (N=464) in Ontario revealed that only two percent of the respondents did not understand the term. Other data showed that traditional male-dominated authority patterns continued to characterize much of family life. Life events such as the death of a family member were major initiators of changes in headship; health changes also had similar effects. Passing on headship in the family often meant the loss of independence of older family members. The findings suggest that families see themselves as continuing over time, held together in a lineage unit despite separate households and progression through the life course. (JAC)