EXHIBIT 2.3



                              VILLAGE BANCORP, INC.

                              STOCKHOLDER AGREEMENT

          This STOCKHOLDER AGREEMENT,  dated as of November 11, 1998, is entered
into  by  and  among  Webster  Financial  Corporation,  a  Delaware  corporation
("Webster"),  and the 13  stockholders of Village  Bancorp,  Inc., a Connecticut
corporation  ("Village"),   named  on  Schedule  I  hereto  (collectively,   the
"Stockholders"), who are directors, executive officers and the only "affiliates"
(for  purposes  of Rule 145 under the  Securities  Act of 1933,  as  amended) of
Village.

          WHEREAS,  Webster and Village have entered into an Agreement  and Plan
of Merger,  dated as of the date hereof (the "Agreement"),  which is conditioned
upon the execution of this  Stockholder  Agreement and which provides for, among
other  things,  the  acquisition  of Village by  Webster,  to be effected by the
merger  of  Village  with and into  Webster,  in a stock for cash  and/or  stock
transaction (the "Merger"); and

          WHEREAS,  in order to induce Webster to enter into or proceed with the
Agreement, each of the Stockholders agrees to, among other things, vote in favor
of the  Agreement,  the Merger and the other  transactions  contemplated  by the
Agreement in his/her capacity as a stockholder of Village;

          NOW, THEREFORE in consideration of the premises,  the mutual covenants
and agreements set forth herein and other good and valuable  consideration,  the
sufficiency  of  which is  hereby  acknowledged,  the  parties  hereto  agree as
follows:

     1.  OWNERSHIP OF VILLAGE  COMMON STOCK.  Each  Stockholder  represents  and
warrants that the number of shares of Village common stock,  par value $3.33 per
share ("Village Common Stock"),  set forth opposite such  Stockholder's  name on
Schedule  I hereto is the total  number of shares of Village  Common  Stock over
which such person has  "beneficial  ownership"  within the meaning of Rule 13d-3
under  the  Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934,  as  amended,  except  that  the
provisions of Rule  13d-3(d)(1)(i)  shall be considered  without any limit as to
time.

     2. AGREEMENTS OF THE  STOCKHOLDERS.  Each Stockholder  covenants and agrees
that:

          (a) Such  Stockholder  shall, at any meeting of the holders of Village
Common  Stock  called for the  purpose,  vote or cause to be voted all shares of
Village Common Stock in which such  Stockholder  has the sole or shared right to
vote (whether owned as of the date hereof or hereafter acquired) (i) in favor of
the  Agreement,  the  Merger  and the  other  transactions  contemplated  by the
Agreement and (ii) against any plan or proposal  pursuant to which Village is to
be acquired by or merged with, or pursuant to which Village proposes to sell all
or  substantially  all of its assets and liabilities  to, any person,  entity or
group (other than Webster or any affiliate thereof).

          (b) Such  Stockholder  shall  not,  prior to the  consummation  of the
Merger or the earlier  termination of this  Stockholder  Agreement in accordance
with its terms,  sell,  pledge,  transfer or otherwise  dispose of the shares of
Village Common Stock over which such Stockholder has sole or shared  dispositive
power;  provided,  however,  that this  Section 2(b) shall not apply to a pledge
existing as of October 27, 1998.







          (c) Such Stockholder shall not in his/her capacity as a stockholder of
Village  directly or  indirectly  encourage  or solicit or hold  discussions  or
negotiations  with, or provide any information  to, any person,  entity or group
(other than Webster or an affiliate thereof)  concerning any merger, sale of all
or substantially  all of the assets or liabilities not in the ordinary course of
business,  sale of shares of  capital  stock or  similar  transaction  involving
Village. Nothing herein shall impair such Stockholder's fiduciary obligations as
a director of Village.

          (d) Such  Stockholder  shall use his/her best efforts to take or cause
to be taken  all  action,  and to do or cause to be done all  things  necessary,
proper or advisable under applicable laws and regulations to consummate and make
effective the Merger contemplated by the Agreement.

          (e) Such  Stockholder  shall  comply with all  applicable  federal and
state  securities laws in connection with any sale of Webster common stock,  par
value $.01 per share ("Webster  Common Stock")  received in exchange for Village
Common Stock in the Merger,  including the trading and volume  limitations as to
sales by affiliates  contained in Rule 145 under the  Securities Act of 1933, as
amended.

          (f) Except as set forth in the attached  Schedule II, such Stockholder
has no present plan or intent, and as of the effective time of the Merger, shall
have no present plan or intent, to engage in a sale,  exchange,  transfer (other
than  an  intrafamily  gift),   distribution  (including  a  distribution  by  a
corporation to its  shareholders),  redemption,  or reduction in any way of such
Stockholder's risk of ownership by short sale or otherwise, or other disposition
(not including a bona fide pledge), directly or indirectly,  with respect to any
of the shares of Webster  Common Stock to be received by such  Stockholder  upon
the Merger (except for cash received for fractional shares).

     3.  TERMINATION.  The  parties  agree  and  intend  that  this  Stockholder
Agreement  is a valid and  binding  agreement  enforceable  against  the parties
hereto  and that  damages  and  other  remedies  at law for the  breach  of this
Stockholder  Agreement  are  inadequate.   This  Stockholder  Agreement  may  be
terminated  at any time  prior to the  consummation  of the Merger by the mutual
written consent of the parties hereto and shall be  automatically  terminated in
the event  that the  Agreement  is  terminated  in  accordance  with its  terms;
provided,  however,  that if the holders of Village Common Stock fail to approve
the  Agreement or Village fails to hold a  stockholders'  meeting to vote on the
Agreement,  then (i) Section 2(a) clause (ii) hereof shall continue in effect as
to any plan or  proposal  received by Village  from any person,  entity or group
(other than Webster or any affiliate  thereof)  prior to the  termination of the
Agreement or within 135 days after such termination and (ii) Section 2(b) hereof
shall continue in effect to preclude a sale,  except upon  consummation  of such
plan or proposal.

     4. NOTICES.  Notices may be provided to Webster and the Stockholders in the
manner specified in the Agreement,  with all notices to the  Stockholders  being
provided to them at the addresses set forth at Schedule I.

     5. GOVERNING LAW. This Stockholder  Agreement shall be governed by the laws
of the State of Delaware,  without  giving effect to the principles of conflicts
of laws thereof.

     6. COUNTERPARTS.  This Stockholder Agreement may be executed in one or more
counterparts,  all of which shall be considered  one and the same  agreement and
each of which  shall be deemed an  original,  and shall  become  effective  when
counterparts  have been signed by each of the parties and delivered to the other
party, it being understood that all parties need not sign the same counterpart.

     7.  HEADINGS.  The  Section  headings  contained  herein are for  reference
purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or  interpretation  of
this Stockholder Agreement.


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     8.  REGULATORY  APPROVAL.  If any provision of this  Stockholder  Agreement
requires the approval of any  regulatory  authority in order to be  enforceable,
then such  provision  shall not be  effective  until such  approval is obtained;
provided, however, that the foregoing shall not affect the enforceability of any
other provision of this Stockholder Agreement.




                            [Signature Page Follows]





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     IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  Webster  Financial  Corporation,  by a duly authorized
officer, and each of the Stockholders have caused this Stockholder  Agreement to
be executed and delivered as of the day and year first above written.

WEBSTER FINANCIAL CORPORATION

By:  /s/ James C. Smith
   James C. Smith
   Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

STOCKHOLDERS:

/s/ Enrico J. Addessi                   /s/ Jose P. Boa
- ------------------------------------    ------------------------------------
Enrico J. Addessi                       Jose P. Boa

/s/ Richard O. Carey
- ------------------------------------    ------------------------------------
Richard O. Carey

/s/ Jeanne M. Cook                      /s/ Nicholas R. DiNapoli
- ------------------------------------    ------------------------------------
Jeanne M. Cook                          Nicholas R. DiNapoli

/s/ Edward J. Hannafin                  /s/ Joseph L. Knapp
- ------------------------------------    ------------------------------------
Edward J. Hannafin                      Joseph L. Knapp

/s/ Carl H. Lecher                      /s/ Robert V. Macklin
- ------------------------------------    ------------------------------------
Carl H. Lecher                          Robert V. Macklin

/s/ Antonio M. Resendes                 /s/ Thomas F. Reynolds
- ------------------------------------    ------------------------------------
Antonio M. Resendes                     Thomas F. Reynolds

/s/ Robert Scala                        /s/ James R. Umbarger
- ------------------------------------    ------------------------------------
Robert Scala                            James R. Umbarger


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                                   SCHEDULE I



                                                                                     Number of Shares of
                                                                                    Village Common Stock
Name and Address of Stockholder                                                      Beneficially Owned
- -------------------------------                                                      ------------------
                                                                                     
Enrico J. Addessi      387 Main Street, Ridgefield CT 06877                                33,064
Jose P. Boa            29 Forty Acre Mtn. Rd., Danbury CT 06810                            25,776
Richard O. Carey       P.O. Box 557, Washington Depot CT 06794                             37,186
Jeanne M. Cook         103 Peaceable Ridge Road, Ridgefield CT 06877                        4,840
Nicholas D. DiNapoli   Suite 102, 90 Grove St., Ridgefield CT 06877                        49,282
Edward J. Hannafin     148 Deer Hill Ave., Danbury CT 06810                                31,310
Joseph L. Knapp        P.O. Box 325, Ridgefield CT 06877                                   13,722
Carl H. Lecher         154 Main Street, Ridgefield CT 06877                                 9,560
Robert V. Macklin      16 Colonial Rd., New Fairfield CT 06812                             26,806
Antonio M. Resendes    133 Codfish Hill Rd., Bethel CT 06801                                9,828
Thomas  F. Reynolds    90 Grove St., Suite 101, Ridgefield CT 06877                           280
Robert Scala           35 Orchard St., Stonington CT 06378                                 13,390
James  R. Umbarger     124 Candlewood Mt. Rd., New Milford CT 06776                        25,992








                                   SCHEDULE II

None.