Exhibit 99.1

                                  PRESS RELEASE

                    For Immediate Release - December 1, 2000


FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

W. Moorhead Vermilye - President and Chief Executive Officer,  Shore Bancshares,
Inc. (410) 822-1400

Daniel Cannon - Executive  Vice  President and Chief  Operating  Officer,  Shore
Bancshares, Inc. (410) 758-1600

                     TALBOT BANCSHARES AND SHORE BANCSHARES
                                 COMPLETE MERGER


Easton,  Maryland,  December 1, 2000 - Talbot Bancshares,  Inc. (OTC BB:TABS.OB)
and Shore Bancshares, Inc. (OTC BB:SHBI.OB),  headquartered in Easton, Maryland,
announced  today that they have completed the merger of Talbot  Bancshares  into
Shore  Bancshares.  The acquisition  was completed  today following  approval by
stockholders of both companies.

Under the  terms of the  merger  agreement,  stockholders  of Talbot  Bancshares
received 2.85 shares of Shore  Bancshares  common stock for each share of Talbot
Bancshares common stock, with fractional shares paid in cash. The exchange ratio
will result in the  issuance of up to 3,407,272  new shares of Shore  Bancshares
common stock in exchange for all 1,195,534 shares of Talbot Bancshares.

"The merger of Talbot Bancshares and Shore Bancshares  creates a premier banking
and financial  services  company  headquartered  on the Maryland Eastern Shore,"
commented W. Moorhead  Vermilye,  former President of Talbot  Bancshares and the
new President and Chief Executive Officer of Shore Bancshares.  "Although we are
merging our holding companies,  our subsidiary banks will operate  independently
in the communities they serve."

Daniel T. Cannon,  former  President and new Executive  Vice President and Chief
Operating Officer of Shore Bancshares, noted, "this merger will allow The Talbot
Bank of Easton,  Maryland  and The  Centreville  National  Bank of Maryland  the
opportunity to provide their  customers more  convenience and a broader array of
financial services."

This  news  release  contains,   among  other  things,  certain  forward-looking
statements   regarding  the  combined   company   following  the  merger.   Such
forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties, including a



variety of  factors  that may cause the  combined  company's  actual  results to
differ materially from the anticipated  results or other expectations  expressed
in such forward-looking statements.

Shore Bancshares,  now headquartered in Easton,  Maryland, is a two-bank holding
company and parent company of The Talbot Bank of Easton,  Maryland, a commercial
bank  providing  general  commercial  banking  services in Talbot and Dorchester
Counties in Maryland,  and The Centreville National Bank of Maryland, a national
banking  association  operating five full service  branch offices  serving Queen
Anne's,  Caroline and Kent Counties in Maryland.  The banks provide a full range
of financial services to individuals,  business and other  organizations.  Shore
Bancshares'  Common Stock is quoted on the OTC  Bulletin  Board under the symbol
"SHBI".