<PAGE>

               SUBORDINATED NOTE OF WILMINGTON TRUST CORPORATION
                        TO CEDE & CO. DATED MAY 4, 1998

                                 EXHIBIT 10.36
<PAGE>
                                SUBORDINATED NOTE

UNLESS AND UNTIL IT IS EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR NOTES IN CERTIFICATED
FORM, THIS NOTE MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE BY THE DEPOSITARY TO A
NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE DEPOSITARY OR
ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY THE DEPOSITARY OR ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A
SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY. UNLESS THIS
CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST
COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION ("DTC") TO ISSUER OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION
OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN
THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED
REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER
ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER,
PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS
WRONGFUL IN AS MUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST
HEREIN.

THESE SECURITIES ARE NOT SAVINGS OR DEPOSIT ACCOUNTS OR OTHER OBLIGATIONS OF ANY
BANK OR NONBANK SUBSIDIARY OF WILMINGTON TRUST CORPORATION AND ARE NOT INSURED
BY THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION, THE BANK INSURANCE FUND OR ANY
OTHER GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY.

                          WILMINGTON TRUST CORPORATION
                    6-5/8% SUBORDINATED NOTE DUE MAY 1, 2008

REGISTERED                                                     CUSIP 971807 AA 0

NO. 1

      WILMINGTON TRUST CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation (herein called the
"Company," which term includes any successor corporation under the Indenture
hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to

                                   CEDE & CO.

or registered assigns, the principal sum of ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE MILLION
DOLLARS ($125,000,000.00) on May 1, 2008 (the "Maturity Date") , and to pay
interest on said principal sum semiannually on November I and May I in each year
(individually referred to as an "Interest Payment Date" and collectively as the
"Interest Payment Dates"), commencing November 1, 1998 at the rate of 6-5/8% per
annum, computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day
months, from May 4, 1998, or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which
interest has been paid or duly provided for, until the principal hereof is paid
or made available for payment. The interest so payable, and punctually paid or
duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date will, as provided in such
Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this Note (or one or more
Predecessor Notes) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record
Date for such interest, which shall be October 15 or April 15 (whether or not a
Business Day), as the case may be, next preceding such Interest Payment Date,
provided that interest payable on the Maturity Date shall be payable to the
Person to whom the principal hereof is payable. In the event any Interest
Payment Date is not a Business Day, interest will be paid on the next succeeding
Business Day. Any such interest not so punctually paid or duly provided for
<PAGE>
shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular Record Date
and may either be paid to the Person in whose name this Note (or one or more
Predecessor Notes) is registered at the close of business on a Special Record
Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the Trustee,
notice whereof shall be given to the Holder of this Note not less than 10 days
prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time in any other lawful
manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange upon
which the Notes of the series shown above may be listed, and upon such notice as
may be required by such exchange, all as more fully provided in such Indenture.
Payment of the principal of and interest on this Note due on the Maturity Date
will be made in immediately available funds upon presentation of the Note. For
the purposes of this Note, "Business Day" means any day, other than a Saturday
or Sunday, on which banking institutions in the City of Wilmington, Delaware are
open for business. Payment of the principal of and interest on this Note will be
made at the office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose in
Wilmington, Delaware, in such coin or currency of the United States of America
as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private
debts; provided, however, that, at the option of the Company, payment of
interest (other than interest payable on the Maturity Date) may be paid by check
mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall
appear in the Note Register at the close of business on the Regular Record Date
or by wire transfer to an account designated by such Person in writing; and
provided further that any interest payments made on this Note while it is a
Global Security shall be paid by wire transfer to an account designated by the
Depositary.

      This Note is one of a duly authorized issue of subordinated notes of the
series designated above of the Company (herein called the "Notes"), issued and
to be issued under an indenture dated as of May 4, 1998 (the "Indenture"),
between the Company and Norwest Bank Minnesota, National Association, as trustee
(the "Trustee" ), to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto
reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights, limitations
of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and the
Holders of the Notes and of the terms upon which the Notes are, and are to be,
authenticated and delivered. This Note is one of the series designated above,
limited (except as provided in the Indenture) in aggregate principal amount to
$125,000,000.00.

      The Notes of this series are not redeemable prior to maturity and will not
be subject to any sinking fund.

      The indebtedness of the Company evidenced by the Notes of this series,
including the principal hereof and interest hereon, is, to the extent and in the
manner set forth in the Indenture, subordinate and junior in right of payment to
its obligations to holders of Senior Indebtedness and creditors in respect of
General Obligations, and each Holder of Notes of this series, by the acceptance
thereof, agrees to and shall be bound by such provisions of the Indenture.

      If an Event of Default with respect to the Notes shall occur and be
continuing, the principal of all the Notes may be declared due and payable in
the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture. There is no right of
acceleration of the payment of principal of the Notes upon a default in the
payment of interest on the Notes or in the performance of any covenant of the
Company in the Indenture or the Notes.

      The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided. the
amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the
Company and the rights of the Holders of the Notes of each series under the
Indenture to be affected at any time by the Company with the consent of the
Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Notes at the time Outstanding
of each series to be affected. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting
the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Notes of each series at the
time Outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all Notes of such series, to waive
certain past defaults under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such
consent or waiver by the Holder of this Note shall

                                       2
<PAGE>
be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this
Note and of any Note issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in
exchange herefor or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or
waiver is made upon this Note.

      No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Note or of
the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company which is
absolute and unconditional to pay the principal of and interest on this Note at
the times, places and rate, and in the coin or currency herein and in the
Indenture prescribed.

      As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein
set forth, the transfer of this Note is registerable in the Securities Register
of the Company, upon surrender of this Note for registration of transfer at the
office or agency of the Company in any place where the principal of and interest
on this Note are payable, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written
instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Note
Registrar duly executed by the Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in
writing, and thereupon one or more new Notes of the same series of authorized
denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount will be issued to the
designated transferee or transferees.

      The Notes are issuable only in registered form without coupons in
denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof. As provided in the
Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, Notes of this
series are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Notes of this
series of a different authorized denomination, as requested by the Holder
surrendering the same.

      No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer or
exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any
tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.

      Prior to due presentment of this Note for registration of transfer, the
Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the
Person in whose name this Note is registered as the owner hereof for all
purposes, whether or not this Note be overdue, and neither the Company, the
Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

      This Note shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws
of the State of New York.

      All terms not defined herein shall have the respective meanings ascribed
to them in the Indenture referred to herein.

      Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been manually executed
by or on behalf of the Trustee under such Indenture, this Note shall not be
entitled to any benefits under such Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any
purpose.

                                       3
<PAGE>
      IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Note to be duly executed
under its corporate seal.

                                        WILMINGTON TRUST CORPORATION
Dated:  May 4, 1998

                                        By  /s/ David R. Gibson
                                            ------------------------------------
                                            David R. Gibson
                                            Senior Vice President and
                                            Chief Financial Officer

                                        ATTEST:

                                            /s/ Thomas P. Collins
                                            ------------------------------------
                                            Thomas P. Collins
                                            Secretary

                          CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

This is one of the Securities of the series designated herein issued under the
within-mentioned Indenture.

Norwest Bank Minnesota, National Association,
as Trustee

By  /s/ Jane Schrager
    ------------------------------------
    Authorized Officer

                                       4
<PAGE>
                                  ABBREVIATIONS

      The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of
this instrument, shall be construed as though they were written out in full
according to applicable laws or regulations:

            TEN COM -- as tenants in common

            TEN ENT -- as tenants by the entireties

            JT ENT -- as joint tenants and not as tenants in common

            UNIF GIFT MIN ACT                           Custodian
                                                         (Cust)
                                            under Uniform Gift to Minors Act

                                        ----------------------------------------
                                                         (State)


Additional abbreviations may be used though not in the above list.

FOR VALUE RECEIVES the undersigned hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto

PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name and address of assignee, including zip code, must be printed or typewritten

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
the within Note, and all rights thereunder, hereby irrevocably constituting and
appointing

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Attorney to transfer said Note on the books of the within Company, with full
power of substitution in the premises.

Dated:
        ---------------------           ----------------------------------------

                                        ----------------------------------------

      NOTICE: The signature to this assignment must correspond with the name as
written upon the face of the within Note in every particular, without alteration
or enlargement or any change whatever and must be guaranteed by a commercial
bank or trust company having its principal office or a correspondent in The City
of New York or by a member of the New York Stock Exchange.