<ARTICLE>                                            9
<LEGEND>
     (Replace this text with the legend)
</LEGEND>
<CIK>                         0000801337
<NAME>                        Webster Financial Corporation
<MULTIPLIER>                                      1000
<CURRENCY>                                          US
       
                             
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   12-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                          DEC-31-1996
<PERIOD-START>                             JAN-01-1996
<PERIOD-END>                               DEC-31-1996
<EXCHANGE-RATE>                                      1
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<LIABILITIES-OTHER>                             86,810
<LONG-TERM>                                     40,000
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                                1
<PREFERRED>                                          0
<COMMON>                                           136
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<INTEREST-OTHER>                                     0
<INTEREST-TOTAL>                                     0
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<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                             217,421
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<LOAN-LOSSES>                                    9,788
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<INCOME-PRETAX>                                 60,873
<INCOME-PRE-EXTRAORDINARY>                      60,873
<EXTRAORDINARY>                                      0
<CHANGES>                                            0
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<EPS-PRIMARY>                                     2.82
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<LOANS-PAST>                                         0
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<LOANS-PROBLEM>                                      0
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<ALLOWANCE-FOREIGN>                                  0
<ALLOWANCE-UNALLOCATED>                              0