Homer Wilby (1748-) was the Naval Secretary of the United States from 1800 to 1808, succeeding Ashley Hampden. He was an honest man and was a patron, and was a good manager of the navy.
Biography[]
Homer Wilby was born in Jersey City, Province of New Jersey, in the Thirteen Colonies (present-day New Jersey, United States). His family emigrated from Suffolk in the Kingdom of England, Great Britain. Wilby became a lawyer in the colonies and later joined the Continental Congress during the American Revolution. Wilby was elected as Secretary of the Navy in 1800 after Ashley Hampden, and had a two-year term. He believed in increased spending on the navy, and he was a good secretary.