Exhibit 23.6

                            A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc.
                                One Boston Place
                                   Suite 3660
                           Boston, Massachusetts 02108
                                 (617) 619-9600


CONSENT OF FINANCIAL ADVISOR

          We hereby  consent to the  inclusion of the opinion of A.G.  Edwards &
Sons,  Inc.  in  the  Form  S-4  Registration  Statement  of  Webster  Financial
Corporation  ("WBST") and the Proxy Statement of New England Community  Bancorp,
Inc.  ("NECB")  to be filed  with the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  in
connection  with  the  proposed  consolidation  of  WBST  and  NECB  and  to the
references  to the work  completed  by our firm as  financial  advisor  to NECB,
therein. In giving such consent, we do not thereby 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 thereunder,  nor do we thereby admit that we are experts with respect
to any  part of such  Registration  Statement  within  the  meaning  of the term
"expert"  as used in the  Securities  Act of 1933 as  amended,  or the rules and
regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder.

/s/ A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc.

A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc.
September 27, 1999



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