**Exhibit 31.1**

 

CERTIFICATION

 

I, Edward J. Kelly, III,certify, that:

 
| 1      |   | I have reviewed this  Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Mercantile Bankshares Corporation;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
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| 2      |   | Based on my knowledge,  this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit  to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of  the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with  respect to the period covered by this report;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
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| 3      |   | Based on my knowledge,  the financial statements, and other financial information included in this  report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition,  results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the  periods presented in this report;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
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| 4      |   | The registrant’s other  certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining  disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act  Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15-(e)) and internal control over financial  reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and  15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
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|   |   | (a)   Designed  such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls  and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material  information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated  subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities,  particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; 

(b)   Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such  internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our  supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of  financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external  purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; |
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|   |   | (c)   Evaluated  the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and  presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the  disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by  this report based on such evaluation; and                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
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|   |   | (d)   Disclosed  in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial  reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the  registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of any annual report) that has  materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the  registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
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| 5      |   | The registrant’s other  certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation  of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors  and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons  performing the equivalent functions):                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
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|   |   | (a)   All significant deficiencies  and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over  financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the  registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial  information; and                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
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|   |   | (b)   Any fraud, whether or not  material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant  role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |

 
| Date: October 28, 2005 |   | /s/ Edward J. Kelly, III         |   |
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|                        |   | Edward J. Kelly                       |
|                        |   | President and Chief Executive Officer |

 

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