Rugeley, historically known as Rudgeley, is a market town in the county of Staffordshire, England. It lies on the northern edge of Cannock Chase, and is situated roughly midway between the towns of Stafford, Cannock and Lichfield. The River Trent and the Trent and Mersey Canal pass through the town.
In the mediaeval period, Rugeley thrived on iron workings and was also a site of glass manufacturing. The town was a centre of coal mining until 1991, when the Lea Hall colliery was demolished.
In 1855, the town gained notoriety when a local doctor, William Palmer, was accused of murdering an acquaintance, John Parsons Cook. It was claimed that Cook had been poisoned, and in the months that followed, Palmer was implicated in the deaths of several other persons, including his own wife and brother. He was put on trial for the murder of Cook in 1856, and an Act of Parliament was passed to allow the trial to be held at The Old Bailey, London, as it was felt that a fair jury could not be found in Staffordshire. Palmer was found guilty of murder, and hanged publicly outside Stafford gaol on June 14, 1856.
Rugeley is twinned with the town of Western Springs, Illinois.
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