EXHIBIT 99.1

               STATEMENT UNDER OATH OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER
               AND PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICER REGARDING FACTS AND
                 CIRCUMSTANCES RELATING TO EXCHANGE ACT FILINGS

I, William J. Ryan, state and attest that:

     (1) To the best of my knowledge, based upon a review of the covered reports
of Banknorth Group, Inc. (the "Company") and, except as corrected or
supplemented in a subsequent covered report:

            -     no covered report contained an untrue statement of a material
                  fact as of the end of the period covered by such report (or in
                  the case of a report on Form 8-K or definitive proxy
                  materials, as of the date on which it was filed); and

            -     no covered report omitted to state a material fact necessary
                  to make the statements in the covered report, in light of the
                  circumstances under which they were made, not misleading as of
                  the end of the period covered by such report (or in the case
                  of a report on Form 8-K or definitive proxy materials, as of
                  the date on which it was filed).

(2) I have reviewed the contents of this statement with the Company's audit
committee.

(3) In this statement under oath, each of the following, if filed on or before
the date of this statement, is a "covered report":

            -     Annual Report on Form 10-K filed by the Company for the year
                  ended December 31, 2001;

            -     all reports on Form 10-Q, all reports on Form 8-K and all
                  definitive proxy materials of the Company filed with the
                  Commission subsequent to the filing of the Form 10-K
                  identified above; and

            -     any amendments to any of the foregoing.

/s/ William J. Ryan                     Subscribed and sworn to
-------------------                     before me this 13th day of
William J. Ryan                         August 2002.
August 13, 2002
                                         /s/  Karen E. Darling
                                         ---------------------------------------
                                         Karen E. Darling
                                         Notary Public
                                         My commission expires: 12/28/08