The eldest of the seventeen children of Henry Homer the elder, he was born at Warwick in 1753.

In November 1768 he was admitted to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, under Richard Farmer, where he became acquainted with Samuel Parr, who helped to direct his studies.

He now resided chiefly at Cambridge, and spent much time in the university library, turning his attention to philological studies.

In consequence of religious scruples, Homer declined to take priest's orders in compliance with the college statutes, and his fellowship was therefore declared vacant in June 1788.

[1] In 1787, he joined with Parr in the republication of William Bellenden's Tracts, and prepared editions of several classical authors.