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                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.24


                                RESTRICTED STOCK
                                 AWARD AGREEMENT

         This Award Agreement is effective as of the 1st day of March, 1995
("Date of Award"), between FirstMerit Corporation, an Ohio corporation (the
"Company"), and John R. Cochran (the "Grantee"). In consideration of the
agreements set forth below, the Company and the Grantee agree as follows:

         1. GRANT. A restricted stock award ("Award") of 12,500 shares ("Award
Shares") of the Company's common stock, no par value ("Common Stock"), is hereby
granted by the Company to the Grantee subject to the following terms and
conditions and to the provisions of the FirstMerit Corporation 1995 Restricted
Stock Plan (the "Plan"), the terms of which are hereby incorporated by
reference.

         2. TRANSFER RESTRICTIONS. None of the Award Shares shall be sold,
assigned or transferred, in whole or in part, voluntarily or involuntarily, by
the Grantee, nor made subject to any lien (except as provided in Section 6,
below), directly or indirectly, by operation of law or otherwise, including
execution, levy, garnishment, attachment, pledge or bankruptcy.

         3. RELEASE OF RESTRICTIONS.

                  (A) The restrictions set forth in Section 2 above shall lapse
         as follows:

                           (i) with respect to 4,167 Award Shares, on the
                  anniversary of this Award Agreement in the year 2001;

                           (ii) with respect to 4,167 Award Shares, on the
                  anniversary of this Award Agreement in the year 2002;

                           (iii) with respect to 4,166 Award Shares, on the
                  anniversary of this Award Agreement in the year 2003;

                  (B) The restrictions set forth in Section 2 above with respect
         to the Award Shares, to the extent they have not lapsed in accordance
         with subsection 3(A) and to the extent not related to shares which
         previously have been forfeited to the Company, shall lapse on the first
         to happen of the following:

                           (i) the Grantee's employment with the Company is
                  terminated following a Change of Control, or by reason of
                  death, Disability (as defined in the long-term disability
                  program of the Company applicable to Grantee at the time of
                  such Disability), Termination Without Cause (as defined in
                  that certain Employment Agreement effective March 1, 1995
                  between the Company and Grantee (the "Employment Agreement"))
                  or Termination for Good Reason (as defined in the Employment
                  Agreement); or

                           (ii) an action by the Committee, in its sole
                  discretion, terminating such restrictions.

         4. FORFEITURE. The Award Shares shall be forfeited to the Company upon
the Grantee's termination of employment with the Company and its subsidiaries
prior to the date the restrictions lapse as provided in Section 3 above.

         5. RIGHTS AS SHAREHOLDER. The Grantee shall be entitled to all of the
rights of a shareholder with respect to the Award Shares including the right to
vote such shares and to receive dividends and other distributions payable with
respect to such shares since the Date of Award.

         6. ESCROW OF SHARE CERTIFICATES. For the purposes of securing the
re-transfer of the shares into the name of the Company in the event of
forfeiture and to ensure adequate provision



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for any tax withholding obligations arising with respect to the Award,
certificates for the Award Shares shall be issued in the Grantee's name and
shall be held in escrow by, and subject to a security interest in favor of, the
Company until restrictions with respect to such shares lapse and all withholding
obligations have been satisfied or such shares are forfeited as provided herein;
provided, however, that the terms of such escrow shall make allowance for the
transactions contemplated by Section 3(B)(i) above. A certificate or
certificates representing the Award Shares as to which restrictions have lapsed
shall be delivered to the Grantee upon such lapse and the satisfaction of any
withholding obligations.

         7. GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to
the contrary, the Company's obligation to issue or deliver certificates
evidencing the Award Shares shall be subject to all applicable laws, rules and
regulations and to such approvals by any governmental agencies or national
securities exchanges as may be required.

         8. WITHHOLDING TAXES. The Company shall have the right to require the
Grantee to remit to the Company, or to withhold from other amounts payable to
the Grantee, as compensation or otherwise, an amount sufficient to satisfy all
federal, state and local withholding tax requirements.

         9. GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement shall be construed under the laws of
the State of Ohio.


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         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused the Award to be granted
pursuant to this Award Agreement on the date first above written.

                                   FIRSTMERIT CORPORATION


                                   By: /s/ Howard L. Flood
                                       ----------------------------------------
                                            Howard L. Flood, Chairman


Accepted:

GRANTEE:


/s/ John R. Cochran
---------------------------
John R. Cochran
Date: March 1, 1995























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