The Cecil French Bequest

On 30 June 1953 the Fulham Public Libraries Committee accepted with thanks Cecil French's offer of six works by Sir Edward Burne-Jones, including The Wheel of Fortune, for display in the libraries. French's offer was a response to the Council's positive attempts to preserve The Grange, Burne-Jones's house in North End Lane which sadly, after French's death, came to nothing.

In his will, dated 19 January 1952, French instructed one of his executors, Rowland Alston, the Curator of The Watts Gallery, Compton, to distribute the remainder of his paintings, following specific bequests, to museums.

Thus, in February 1954, Fulham received a bequest of a further forty-seven works the majority of which were by Burne-Jones.