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The main provisions of Turner's will were two, (1) that his personal property, valued at nearly 140,000 pounds at his death, should be sold to provide a charitable institution for "Poor and Decayed Male Artists born in England and of English Parents only and lawful issue", and (2) that his pictures, sketches and drawing remaining in his studio should be bequeathed to the nation, to be kept together in a special gallery built for the purpose. The first provision was frustrated by his next-of-kin (to whom he wished to leave nothing) on a legal technicality: they were enabled to inherit the entire property themselves. The gallery for the pictures was never built; but after a delay of almost ten years the National Gallery, London, was given charge of the whole collection (the "Turner Bequest"). This amounted in all to over a hundred finished pictures, some 250 unfinished pictures and oil sketches, and over 19,000 watercolours and drawings. According to the present arrangements, a small selection of the pictures is kept and exhibited at the National Gallery; the Tate Gallery holds, and exhibits a large proportion of, the remaining works in oil; the Britsh Museum retains the watercolours and drawings. (the above was taken from the book, "Turner" by Michael Kitson, 1964)
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