Lady in pub on English ship (8)
I believe the answer is:
baroness
'lady' is the definition.
(I know that baroness is a type of lady)
'pub on english ship' is the wordplay.
'pub' becomes 'bar' (both are drinking establishments).
'english' becomes 'e' (abbreviation).
'ship' becomes 'SS' (prefix in ship names eg SS Great Britain).
'bar'+'on'+'e'+'ss'='BARONESS'
'in' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for baroness that I've seen before include "Woman life-peer" , "Noblewoman" , "Titled lady" , "Aristocrat" , "Peer's title" .)