Jessie was born in Stirling. In 1917 she went to London as a student of Margaret McMillan. She returned to Dundee three years later, to Dundee’s first nursery school – a private school, which later became Bellfield Nursery.

Jessie was in charge there from 1922 to ‘56, when she retired. She conducted exams for nursery nurses, keeping the questions carefully noted in her book. She died at, 40 Birchwood Place in November 1972, age 81.

The Jessie Porter Nursery is now situated in Ambleside Terrace.