May 1854 Winchester was the flagship of Rear Admiral Sir James Stirling. Shortly afterwards news arrived that war had been declared on Russia. Stirling was anxious to prevent Russian ships from sheltering in Japanese ports and menacing allied shipping and led a squadron of four vessels to Nagasaki where he concluded the Anglo-Japanese Friendship Treaty with representatives of the Tokugawa shogunate. Winchester subsequently was involved in the Second Opium War, when her boats and some of her ship's company were used in the attack on Canton. Discovery of Russian coast In August 1855, during the Crimean War, Winchester and entered and first charted the waters of Peter the Great Gulf, while searching for the Russian squadron commanded by Vasily Zavoyko. Training ship Conway From 1861 Winchester replaced the 26-gun sixth-rate as the training ship in the port of Liverpool, and was renamed Conway that year. She was used as an educational vessel for homeless and destitute children. She was replaced in 1876 by , which in turn was renamed Conway. The former Winchester was returned to the Admiralty on 1 September 1876, and was renamed HMS Mount Edgcumbe. Training ship Mount Edgcumbe The Devon and Cornwall Industrial Training Ship Association was formed in 1874 to provide a training ship for the homeless boys of Plymouth, and Mount Edgcumbe was anchored in the River Tamar off Saltash. On 28 March 1912 another training ship, , based in Hull, closed down. The boys aboard HMS Southampton were transferred to Devonport to continue their training aboard Mount Edgcumbe. The training ship was closed down on 4 December 1920. Fate Mount Edgcumbe was sold on 8 April 1921, and was towed to Queen Anne's Battery for breaking. Citations References External links Frigates of the Royal Navy Training ships of the United Kingdom 1822 ships Royal Navy mutinies Training ships of the Royal Navy Ships built in Woolwich