**Exhibit24**

 

**MERCANTILE BANKSHARES CORPORATION**

**POWER OF ATTORNEY**

 

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signatureappears below constitutes and appoints Edward J. Kelly, III and John L. Unger,and each of them, his or her true and lawful attorney(s)-in-fact and agent(s),with full power of substitution and resubstitution, to sign for the undersignedand in the undersigned’s name as director of Mercantile Bankshares Corporationthe Annual Report on Form 10-K of Mercantile Bankshares Corporation for theyear ended December 31, 2005, to be filed with the Securities and ExchangeCommission and to file the same with the Securities and Exchange Commission, withall exhibits and schedules thereto, and other documents in connectiontherewith, and any and all further amendments to said report, granting untosaid attorney(s)-in-fact and agent(s) full power and authority to do andperform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in andabout the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might orcould do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that saidattorney(s)-in-fact and agent(s), or their substitute(s), may lawfully do orcause to be done by virtue hereof. This Power of Attorney may be executed inone or more counterparts.

 

 
| /s/ Cynthia A. Archer        |     |           |   |
|------------------------------|----------|----------------|--------|
| Cynthia A. Archer            | Director | March 7, 2006  |
|                         |     |           |
| /s/ R. Carl Benna            |     |           |   |
| R. Carl Benna                | Director | March 6, 2006  |
|                         |     |           |
| /s/ Richard O. Berndt        |     |           |   |
| Richard O. Berndt            | Director | March 6, 2006  |
|                         |     |           |
| /s/ Howard B. Bowen          |     |           |   |
| Howard B. Bowen              | Director | March 6, 2006  |
|                         |     |           |
| /s/ William R. Brody         |     |           |   |
| William R. Brody             | Director | March 6, 2006  |
|                         |     |           |
| /s/ Eddie C. Brown           |     |           |   |
| Eddie C. Brown               | Director | March 6, 2006  |
|                         |     |           |
| /s/ George L. Bunting, Jr.   |     |           |   |
| George L. Bunting, Jr.       | Director | March 3, 2006  |
|                         |     |           |
| /s/ Anthony W. Deering       |     |           |   |
| Anthony W. Deering           | Director | March 7, 2006  |
|                         |     |           |
| /s/ Darrell D. Friedman      |     |           |   |
| Darrell D. Friedman          | Director | March 7, 2006  |
|                         |     |           |
| /s/ Freeman A. Hrabowski III |     |           |   |
| Freeman A. Hrabowski III     | Director | March 7, 2006  |
|                         |     |           |
| /s/ Robert A. Kinsley        |     |           |   |
| Robert A. Kinsley            | Director | March 6, 2006  |
|                         |     |           |
| /s/ Alexander T. Mason       |     |           |   |
| Alexander T. Mason           | Director | March 10, 2006 |
|                         |     |           |
| /s/ Jenny G. Morgan          |     |           |   |
| Jenny G. Morgan              | Director | March 10, 2006 |
|                              |          |                |        |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

 

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| /s/ Morton B. Plant         |     |           |   |
|-----------------------------|----------|----------------|--------|
| Morton B. Plan              | Director | March 3, 2006  |
|                        |     |           |
| /s/ Christian H. Poindexter |     |           |   |
| Christian H. Poindexter     | Director | March 3, 2006  |
|                        |     |           |
| /s/ Clayton S. Rose         |     |           |   |
| Clayton S. Rose             | Director | March 1, 2006  |
|                        |     |           |
| /s/ James L. Shea           |     |           |   |
| James L. Shea               | Director | March 3, 2006  |
|                        |     |           |
| /s/ Donald J. Shepard       |     |           |   |
| Donald J. Shepard           | Director | March 10, 2006 |
|                        |     |           |
| /s/ Jay M. Wilson           |     |           |   |
| Jay M. Wilson               | Director | March 9, 2006  |
|                             |          |                |        |  |  |  |  |  |

 

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