Exhibit 10.b
                                    Amendment
                                       to
                          WASHINGTON TRUST BANCORP, INC.
                           1997 Equity Incentive Plan

In the second quarter of 2000, the Registrant  amended its 1997 Equity Incentive
Plan filed as Exhibit 10.a to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for
the quarterly period ended June 30, 1997. The Amendment is as follows:

A.     Pursuant to the authority  reserved in Section 13(d) of the  Washington
       Trust  Bancorp,  Inc. 1997 Equity  Incentive  Plan (the "Plan"), Section
       11 of the Plan is hereby amended by adding the following at the end of
       the first paragraph thereof:

         "Beginning with the 2000 Annual Meeting, unless otherwise determined by
         the Board,  each Director of the  Corporation who is not an employee of
         the Corporation  shall  automatically be granted a Nonqualified  Option
         covering  2000  shares  as of the date of each  Annual  Meeting  of the
         Corporation  after  which such  Director  will  continue  to serve as a
         Director of the Corporation."

B.     Except as provided herein, the Plan is confirmed in all other respect.