Jesse was born in Spartanburg County SC 27 May 1821. In 1840 Jesse was dismissed from his church in Spartanburg. It is not known if he then moved to Georgia with either his brother Warren or Uncle Benjamin Franklin White or if he moved directly to Mississippi. Jesse wrote several songs for his uncle's book 'The Sacred Harp', published in 1844, but whether he wrote them in South Carolina, Georgia, or Mississippi is not known. From the book "White Spirituals in the Southern Uplands", by George Pullen Jackson, he writes: (page79) "Jesse Tom White or J T White as is mentioned as the Nephew of BF White, and contributed to the songs in the Sacred Harp Book, and also appears in other sacred hard books written years after BF White's, it is to be remembered that BF White lived with his older Brother Robert Jr, who was also a music clerk and tutored BF.
Sometime between 1840 and 1845 he moved to MS, and in 1845 married Caroline Penelope Ethridge. By 1850 he is raising a family, and is involved in many Deed transactions as part of his Job as County Clerk for Winston Co, MS. The last deed registered by Jesse in Winston Co was 1857, so it seems likely that Jesse left MS between 1856/57. In 1859 Jesse T White is received at the Carmel Baptist Church, in Smith County, TX, the first record of the family's arrival in Smith Co. Later, Jesse served as a deacon, and was also very active in the Cherokee Baptist Association. A daughter Ida is born in 1860 in this county. The two older children; Susan and Uriah were born in Mississippi. Jesse was running a Mill in Lindale, Smith Co, TX, before moving to Tyler, Smith Co TX, where he and his wife were owners of a local hotel, and he served as justice of the peace and notary public. The 1870 census recorded Jesse in both Smith and Cherokee Counties. They are probably living on the border area between the two counties. In 1870 Jesse's 1st cousin, David P. White, son of BF White, was living in Polk County TX, however, by 1880, DP White is living in Cherokee County TX, where Jesse was recorded in 1870. An L. R. White was living with Jesse and family in 1880. LR's age matches with his brother Lewis (Louis) R. White, Lewis was dismissed in 1858 from the Cedar Springs Baptist in Spartanburg SC, he is listed in the 1880 census as a Cotton Buyer. Jesse died in Mt. Pleasant Titus Co TX, at the home of his daughter Ella May Black 28 Jul 1894. Caroline died in the same county 26 Dec 1903.

Jesse's siblings were:

Susan------1812-1895-------m. Absolom W Rhodes--------------------------1836
Martha-----1814-1853-------m. Henry O Golightly----------------------------1832
Mildred----1815-1816-------m. Not married died----------------------------d1816
Nancy------1817-1894-------m. Jason W Murphy------------------------------1838
James------1819-1843-------m. Mary Unkn------------------------------Unkn Date
Jesse-------1821-1894-------m. Caroline P Etheridge-------------------------1845
T Warren---1823-1896-------m. Sarah R Rhodes -----------------bet1856--1860
Robert------1825-abt1885---m.1.Mary Strickland 1861,2.Sarah Boleter1878
Calvin------ 1827-1908--------m.1 Martha Cooper-1854 2.Fannie ?----aft1885
Charles-----1829-1898--------m. Kiturah P.V. Kate Henderson------- ------1856
John--------1832-1863--------m. Mary Cooper----------------------------------1857
Lewis-------1835-aft1880-----m. Sarah E Sallie Holliday--------------------1860