Exhibit 23.4   Consent of Alex. Brown & Sons, Incorporated

                                                                    Exhibit 23.4

                   CONSENT OF ALEX. BROWN & SONS, INCORPORATED

     We hereby consent to the inclusion of our opinion dated August 17, 1995
as an Annex to the Proxy  Statement-Prospectus filed as part of the Registration
Statement on Form S-4 of Webster Financial Corporation, and to the references to
our firm as  Financial  Adviser  to  Shelton  Savings  Bank  and to our  opinion
contained in said Proxy Statement-Prospectus.  In giving such consent, we do not
hereby  admit that we come  within the  category  of  persons  whose  consent is
required  under  Section  7 of the  Securities  Act of  1933  or the  rules  and
regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

                                              Alex. Brown & Sons, Incorporated


                                              By  /s/ J. Adam Hitt
                                                 --------------------------
                                                  J. Adam Hitt
                                                  Principal

Date:  September 6, 1995