I found this charming article in the Suffolk Chronicle published 29 April 1882:
“A HAPPY FAMILY.—Last week the son of the landlady of the Barking Lion, whilst ploughing, turned up a nest containing five young wild rabbits, which he took home and handed over to the care of the family cat. This cat, being a mother at the time, was deprived of her kittens, and the rabbits were substituted. The cat has taken kindly to her new charge, and has proved a capital foster-mother. The happy family may be seen any day at the above inn.”
– Suffolk Chronicle, 29 April 1882, p6, c1
The landlady of the Barking Lion (now considered part of Needham Market) was Lucy Overton (nee Mays). Her husband, Thomas Overton, became the licensee in 1880 but it seems that Lucy actually handled the day-to-day running of the pub, while Thomas continued to work as an agricultural labourer.
In Victorian times, it was rare for married women to hold a license in their own name. Female licensees were most likely to be widows taking over the license from their deceased husbands.
Lucy died in 1898 and by 1900 Thomas had transferred the license to someone else. Lucy must have been a well known resident since when Thomas died in 1916, he was described as “husband of the late Lucy Overton”.
Lucy is buried in Barking Churchyard. The epitaph on her gravestone reads:
“A LIGHT IS FROM OUR HOUSEHOLD GONE
A VOICE WE LOVED IS STILL’D
A PLACE IS VACANT IN OUR HOME
WHICH NEVER CAN BE FILLED”